Prologue

Yule Ball, 1994

Neville Longbottom nervously tugged at the Windsor knot currently constricting his throat. It was much too tight for him, and he attempted to take deep breaths to counteract the feeling that he was asphyxiating. Bother that Seamus Finnegan! He should have never asked for help tying it off.

Or maybe he was just nervous. Maybe he was just having a panic attack.

Standing outside the Ravenclaw Common Room, Neville glanced about. This floor landing was deserted, and he could hear voices wafting up from the Great Hall below – most people were already down there at the Yule Ball, waiting to be let in.

Suddenly, the majestic eagle that guarded the Ravenclaws' inner sanctum stood aside, and a cute girl with a round, unblemished face came clambering out. When she lifted her silvery eyes to his, Neville all at once felt trapped in her piercing, almost omniscient stare.

He only knew Luna Lovegood in passing. They had a couple of classes together, ones where their two houses – Gryffindor and Ravenclaw – were combined, sometimes across multiple years. Luna was one of a smattering of third-year Ravenclaws who took Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures at the fourth-year level. She also shared Neville's coursework for Divination, as well as Herbology.

As Christmas Eve had grown steadily nearer, Neville had grown more desperate to find a date. He had even tried to ask Hermione Granger, though she had turned him down gently. The only small comfort he had seen was how Ron Weasley and Harry Potter – a Triwizard champion – had themselves struggled to find dates, only resolving the matter days ago.

When he had stopped Luna and taken her aside the other day, hanging back in the greenhouses, Neville had barely been able to get the question out. Speaking a dozen words: "Luna, would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?" had never been so taxing, yet he had done it. Luna had merely cocked her head and studied him with what perhaps had been bemusement, like a curious puppy, before merely chirping, "Yes, I would, Neville Longbottom."

Neville was still trying to tell himself that she didn't accept because, as a third year, she wouldn't have been able to attend otherwise, unless on the arm of someone older.

Clearing his throat, Neville gestured at Luna lamely. "You… you look beautiful." And she did. Her golden blonde hair was done up in plaits, and she was wearing a canary-yellow dress that would certainly make her stand out.

Luna smiled softly, with a kind of serenity that left Neville in awe. "Thanks. You look very handsome, Neville Longbottom. Quite dashing, even." She offered him her arm. "Shall we?"

Gulping, Neville looped his arm through hers, and escorted her down the stairs.

The arrival of a truly stunning Hermione Granger – and the realization that she was the date of Bulgarian champion Viktor Krum – turned a lot of heads and elicited plenty of whispers. After the four pairs of champions and their dates had led the procession into the Great Hall, then led off the first dance, Neville nervously guided Luna out onto the floor. Smiling serenely, even encouragingly, Luna deftly took Neville's hand and placed it at her waist, showing him where to touch her. Lacing her fingers through his while placing her free palm on his shoulder, she took the lead, smiling at him kindly as they glided across the floor in a slow waltz.

Neville was glad for Luna's carefree attitude, and even more grateful to her for taking the lead. He had been far from the best in Professor McGonagall's ballroom tutorials; it was taking all of his concentration now not to step on the pretty Ravenclaw's feet.

He was much too distracted by Luna's pretty, round and unblemished face. She really was quite lovely….

Slowly, as the night progressed, Neville felt his inhibitions drop as Luna guided him through dance after dance. She was uninhibited, not seeming to care how others gawped at her for the way she danced during the Weird Sister's more up-tempo rhythms. Catching him gazing at her, Luna just beamed.

"It's the Wrackspurts. They put foolish thoughts in your head."

Neville and Luna didn't leave the dance floor until after the last call, by which point Harry had already left and they had both witnessed Ron and Hermione storm off, their faces red as they combated with each other in a heated argument. Neville walked Luna home all the way up to the Ravenclaw portrait hole. Luna turned to face him, pondering her date.

"I had a lovely time, Neville Longbottom."

Neville felt his face grow red. "Me too." An awkward beat, and then, remembering, he dug in the pocket of his dress robes. "Oh. Um…. This is for you."

The idea had only come to him after he had asked her to the Ball. But after meticulous work, he had finally managed to magically grow a rose and magically enchant it to shimmer. "This is for you."

Touched, Luna accepted the flower, fingering the petals contemplatively. "It's beautiful, Neville Longbottom."

Neville grinned bashfully. "It's just Neville."

She beamed. "OK…. Just Neville." Her silver eyes shifted up to take in something above their heads. "Mistletoe," she whispered quietly.

Neville followed her gaze into the rafters where indeed, he could see a single sprig growing from the beams. His gaze went back to Luna.

If there was ever a moment for Gryffindor courage now, this would be it. But whatever had possessed him to ask her here tonight at all now failed him, and he elected instead to hold out his hand.

"Well….. goodnight. Happy Christmas."

Luna eyed his hand with a smile that was almost amused. Carefully setting down the enchanted rose, she took Neville's palm…

… and then her hand swallowed up much of his forearm as she suddenly yanked him close, looped her arms around his neck and with an almost laughing smile, kissed him deeply on the mouth.

Neville froze for a moment in shock. This was his first kiss. He had no idea what to do. He felt Luna chuckle into his mouth, the sound throaty and gay and parting her lips so that her tongue lolled out to draw his in.

Slowly, Neville closed his eyes. Trembling, stealing his arms around her small waist, he dazedly kissed this enigmatic Ravenclaw back.

After several minutes of snogging, Neville and Luna broke apart. Luna licked her lips, which now curled up into a satisfied, pleased smile.

"I knew you could do it," she cheeped, praising him.

Neville chuckled. "Thanks to you. After all, you kissed me first."

She beamed. "So I did. And it was a truly lovely first kiss." Neville was still gazing at her as though he had never seen her before. He truly was mesmerized by her. Sensing this, Luna shrugged. "It was the Nargles, Neville Longbottom. They like to burrow in mistletoe. Their pheromones can bring about lust in humans and encourage them to mate." With that, she picked up the potted rose and ducked through the portrait hole. She glanced back once, grinning at him.

"Good night…. Neville." The eagle rumbled closed behind her.

Neville stood there stupidly for a moment. Finally, he leapt into the air and let out a victorious whoop. He broke into a run down the steps. But his feet were killing him in his dress shoes, so he paused to shuck them off before continuing his giddy sprint to the Gryffindor Common Room.

As he dashed by, he didn't notice the sniffling, ginger-haired girl huddled in a darkened corner.

Ginny Weasley hadn't been allowed to go to the Ball that night. Her feelings of exclusion had confounded into heartbreak as she had watched from the shadows as Harry Potter, the love of her life, had attended the Ball with Parvati Patil on his arm… and then spent much of his night ogling between Hermione and that Cho Chang bird. The inadequacy, the jealousy festered inside the thirteen-year-old. What would it take for Harry to notice her? What would it take for him to love her?

Lifting her head out of her palms, Ginny was suddenly struck with a thunderbolt of an idea. It would be risky. She would have to bide her time until the moment was right, and she would definitely need some help.

Fortunately, she knew just where to find that help. She would do anything to make Harry Potter hers. Just as she knew that mothers would do anything for their daughters.

Especially only daughters.