Luna spent her holiday behaving somewhat abnormally according to her father. She wasn't responding to his many odd tales about the wizarding world, when usually she engaged him in conversation, even challenging his thinking on certain topics. But it wasn't until two days before Christmas that he decided to bring this up. "Luna, you seem distracted," he observed one morning before work. "I mention a troll uprising and you simply stare out the window. And it's not the first time this has happened. What is it that has stolen your attention?"

"Oh, nothing in particular," Luna answered, trying to sound aloof, and it dawned on her that this interaction between them was the first time she'd lied to her father in many years. Normally, Luna didn't see the point in withholding information. Doing so only led to misunderstandings and heartache. It was better to be honest. Always. Her mother had kept secrets from them- like her experiments with magic- and that had … well, it wasn't a memory Luna willingly dwelled upon.

Concerning her relationship with Harry though, Luna didn't think it was prudent to involve her father. He'd already proven himself prone to panicking during moments when she'd spoken of her more personal issues. And kissing a boy would most certainly fit into that category. But more importantly, Luna wanted to protect Harry. Given that news of him was the topic of gossip among many wizards and witches, she didn't want to chance the Daily Prophet learning Harry had kissed the daughter of a rival magazine owner. Luna worried they might retaliate with unflattering stories. She and Harry, along with her father, would be drawn through a muck of falsehoods. She wouldn't let that happen. Luna had the ability to protect them both and would by staying quiet.

Yet even if it was better to keep Harry out of the light for now, she was finding it most difficult to keep him out of her mind. And that was when her gazing had begun. Luna's new pastime was to sit near a window, take in the nature around her home, and think of Harry.

"And where is your butterbeer cork necklace?" Her father had continued when Luna fell silent again. "Far too many nargles around this house for there being no mistletoe to attract them." Even during Christmas, mistletoe was banned in the Lovegood home.

Luna gazed away from the sandpipers digging for food along a stream's frost-covered shoreline and focused on her father standing in the kitchen drinking his early morning tea. "I left it at school," she plainly said, like it wasn't the shocking revelation he'd recognize it to be.

"At Hogwarts? Why that's absurd." He settled his cup down on a counter. "You've had that since you were little. Your mother helped you make it."

Luna tilted her head to the side. "I know that," she said and then slid deftly into a question, one that would distract him, but also give her an answer to something she'd been pondering since Professor Slughorn's party. "Do you think it's possible for magic to be transferable, from one person to another?"

"What? Are you implying from wizard to a muggle?"

"No, from witch to wizard or the other way around."

Her father didn't delve too deeply into the question and almost sounded glib when he answered, "Hardly seems logical considering both are already able to perform magic. Why do you ask?"

"No particular reason. Only curious." Luna softly sighed. She wasn't going to get any answers from him.

"You would do better to put your thoughts on other things, like the troll uprising I mentioned or remembering to bring home important items and not leave them at school." Her father had emphasized the second portion of his sentence, her missing corks seeming to bother him more than anything else. "Well, at least you have your radish earrings. No wumbits will be taking over our house while you're wearing those." He strode to where Luna sat on the floor with her knees tucked under her chin and patted the top of her head. "Will you be alright while I'm gone?"

"Of course," she replied. "I always am."

With a ruffle of Luna's hair, he walked through the front door, leaving his daughter where she'd been since waking that morning. After watching her father disapparate once he reached the edge of the charm barrier (which wasn't actually a charm spell, but a set of three rock piles placed strategically around their home), Luna's mind wandered back to Harry. She wondered what he was doing at that very moment. Hopefully, the nargles were leaving him alone. Just before they'd said their goodbyes at Hogwarts, one had bitten Harry on the cheek. Quickly, Luna had run off and returned moments later with her butterbeer cork necklace. "Some don't consider this very fashionable," she mentioned, holding it up for him to see. "In fact, I haven't worn it recently because Mary told me you wouldn't like it."

Harry laughed at this piece of information. "Since when do you let others tell you what to wear? You've always done whatever you've wanted, especially when it comes to your clothes."

"That is true," Luna agreed. "But I find I care an awful lot about what you think of me, which is a new experience. Not that I didn't care before, but our kiss has altered my opinion on us and what we are … and what I should wear."

"Luna, I like you just as you are. Don't go changing because someone says so."

"Well, if you truly do feel that way then you won't mind wearing this." Luna reached around Harry's neck and began tying the corks. As a result of their nearness, she was able to hear Harry's breath hitch momentarily. "These should help keep the nargles away. I'm sorry that they've become such a problem for you because of me," Luna apologized as she finished the knot and stepped back.

"They don't bother me so much. Who cares about dumb nargles anyway?" Harry's reply was given with an impish grin that quirked a corner of his mouth up and caused a fluttering in Luna's chest.

"Harry, don't let them hear you say that," Luna warned, lowering her voice as if the nargles might hear. "They are quite spiteful creatures. That bite was only a small glimpse into what they're capable of." Harry's brow creased in worry, causing Luna to giggle.

"Wait … was that another joke?" he asked, his expression easing into an unsteady grin.

Luna teasingly shrugged in such a way that would tell him his guess was correct. "You know Harry, what you said about the nargles might be the nicest compliment anyone's ever given me."

"Really?" Harry seemed bemused by this.

Luna nodded. "It means you're willing to put up with nargles to be my friend."

With shaky fingers, Harry tucked a lock of Luna's hair behind her ear. "Yeah ... friend."

"Or more than friend," she amended after noting the tone of disappointment in his voice. "I don't suppose friends kiss each other like we did. But that will be something for us to figure out when we come back after the holiday."

A nargle flew near them then, but after seeing Luna's necklace on Harry, it chose to move on. "Thanks … for this." He gently tugged at a cork.

"You're welcome," she replied, and in a bit of impulsiveness, Luna placed a quick kiss on Harry's mouth.

She thought of that kiss now. And the one before it. And the one before that. But then something caught the corner of her eye. "Speaking of nargles," Luna said to herself after noticing one fly across the room and settle on the kitchen counter where her father's leftover tea sat. He'd forgotten to empty it like always, and now nargles were gathering around the little bit left.

Luna didn't know if Harry would keep her cork necklace once they returned to Hogwarts and thought maybe it would be a good idea to start making a new one to help fight the current nargle infestation surrounding her. At the moment she'd tied that knot behind Harry's neck, it hadn't occurred to Luna that an important part of her past was now in the possession of someone else. Her father's shock that morning had enlightened her somewhat, but for Luna, it wasn't quite as stupefying. Since meeting Harry, she'd felt an invisible bond connecting them. Luna wasn't certain he felt it, but for her it was real, an invisible cord between them, sometimes taut as if reminding her to pay attention and nurture it. And sometimes loose. There, but similar to a comfortable silence between friends. Even if they hadn't kissed, Luna was certain she would've handed over the necklace. He meant that much to her. But she also conceded that if they hadn't kissed, the nargles wouldn't have been an issue for Harry, thus nullifying his need for her butterbeer corks.

Luna absently touched her skin, where the necklace usually rested. For an instant, she thought she might be thankful for nargles, but the ridiculous notion soon passed when one knocked her father's teacup to the ground, breaking it into several pieces.

On Christmas morning, Harry woke with a start, unsure of what had jolted him from sleep but relieved to find out it wasn't his scar. After retrieving his glasses, he saw Ron sitting up in bed on the other side of the room, a litter of Christmas wrapping paper surrounding him. One of his hands was pushed through his red hair and scratching his scalp, while the other held something he was staring at in disgust.

"What're you looking at?" Harry asked.

Ron glanced up in surprise. "Uh, sorry. Didn't mean to wake you, but I was opening my presents and …" He pulled a gold chain from his hand until Harry could see the words My Sweetheart dangling from it in bold capital letters. "It's from Lavender. She can't honestly think I'd wear this." Harry couldn't stop himself from laughing, and Ron's look of disgust at the necklace transferred over to him. "Like you can say anything."

Harry's amusement settled into a chuckle. "What d'you mean by that?"

"What's that you got tied around your own neck then? Homemade necklace from Luna?"

Harry's hand flew up to the cork necklace Luna had tied there a week ago. "This is different," he defended himself without exactly knowing how it was. Luna's magic had dissipated his first day at Ron's. He knew because the few nargles flying about the room had suddenly gone. Not flown away or anything. Just vanished. After that, Luna's corks had become a token of their friendship and not the protection from nargles they'd originally been. Harry's only reason for wearing them now was because they reminded him of her.

"How is it different?" Ron asked and when Harry didn't answer, his friend waved off his challenge. "Never mind. It doesn't matter. You don't have to explain that ... thing to me," he said and then laughed.

"What?"

"Well, I was just thinking how our girlfriends have terrible taste in jewelry."

Harry thought for a moment that he might deny Luna was actually his girlfriend. He'd done it a few times already, mostly to Fred and George, who'd begun teasing him after Ron blurted out his second-hand news of the events at Slughorn's party. But for some reason, Harry didn't correct Ron. "Tell you what. If you don't mock me for my necklace then I won't mock you for yours," he offered.

Ron snickered. "You'd be in your right if you did though. This is the ugliest thing I've ever seen." And then he shoved it under his pillow.

"What? Not going to wear it in front of Fred and George?"

"No, mate. You're the only one round here brave enough to wear ugly jewelry in front of them. You and maybe my Aunt Muriel."

Harry didn't know if it was a good thing being compared with Aunt Muriel, but at least it seemed like Ron was finally coming around about Luna ... or her cork necklace anyway.