Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling

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A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews last chapter! Please keep them coming! Happy Thanksgiving!

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Snow Angels

Chapter Six

Evergreen and Mistletoe

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Luna was amused to find that, while George was clever enough to get out of the yearly hunt to find the perfect tree, even he wasn't clever enough to worm his way out of helping to decorate said tree.

They had hastily broken apart at the first sign of Ginny's golden sparks and kicked the fire out, vanishing all traces that there had ever been one. It wouldn't take the others long to cut the tree down and levitate it back to the edge of the forest. They stomped around; making several trails that lead in and out of the deepest parts of the thick set trees … they had to at least make it look good.

By the time the others came to the opening in the trees, George and Luna were lagging behind, covered in tree needles, sap and looking just as exhausted as the others, yet they drew suspicion anyway. They were the only ones, after all, who had not sent up a single set of red sparks into the sky.

Back at the house, Arthur had trimmed the branches off the lower part of the tree, fit it into the stand, and then submerged the entire thing into a large pan of sugar water to rest. On Sunday morning, Arthur and the other Weasley males went about getting the boxes down from the attic in the barn, and then went back out into the forest to cut off large branches of evergreen to be wound into garlands and wreaths. Ginny, with Molly and Fleur's encouragement, was not settling for paper chains this year, she wanted the real thing.

They spent the better part of the morning, and a large chunk of the afternoon weaving garlands, and then twisting parts of those into wreaths. The rest found itself tied to the fences, around the lamp posts, along the eves of the barn and house and across every mantle and railing in the house.

By dinner time, the house had taken on a lovely, woodsy smell and Ginny was not the only Weasley wearing a happy glow in anticipation of decorating the tree after dinner. Ginny, Luna and Hermione had spent the afternoon sorting decorations, repairing a few that had broken and laying them out in the order that they thought they should be arranged on the tree. Next to the table, a large jar of glittering Christmas fairies waved at them happily while they waited to be set loose to find their way to a comfortable branch.

Yet even amongst all this happiness and peace, George had noticed Luna growing more nervous as the day wore one. He could not be completely sure, but he was almost totally convinced it was the fault of Nargles.

Not that he believed in Nargles, he had been telling Luna the truth, but the thing was…Luna did believe in them and therein lay the problem. He remembered their discussion on the naughtiness of Nargles the day they had lunch at Dino Italia. Nargles had done terrible things to Luna in the past. They hid her shoes, they took her things, and they made people's heads go fuzzy (or was that Wrackspurts?) He also remembered that Luna had said that all forms of Christmas greenery (pine, evergreen, mistletoe and holly) were notorious for Nargle infestations. So he was fairly positive that Luna's worsening mood had something to do with the fear that Nargles were about to infest the Burrow. As he expected, Luna pulled his mother aside after dinner.

"Mrs. Weasley," Luna smiled brightly "if you'll tell me where you have some spare butterbeer corks, I would be happy to make a few Nargle charms to put up."

George turned quickly and cautioned the others with his eyes to keep their comments to themselves… thankfully, he and Ginny had already warned their parents that this was coming.

"Oh…" Molly spluttered around a bit. "You know, we don't usually use this much evergreen, I don't think we saved any corks this year."

"Oh, I see." Luna worked up a smile and turned to help Hermione dry the dishes. "It's okay, I'm sure things will be just fine without them."

George shot Ginny a look, Ginny shrugged and looked back, unsure what to do … then she remembered.

"Luna, didn't you have a jar of corks back at your flat?"

"Well, yes I do… but…"

"Couldn't you use those?"

"I could, but I can't apparate myself, I'm not of age yet…and I don't want to pull anyone away…"

George rolled his eyes, tossed down the dishrag and snatched Luna's cloak off the hook. This whole self-sacrificing thing with her was getting a little tiresome. If they were going to be together, Luna needed to learn to accept people doing things for her.

"Come on." He said, pulling her out the door and into the night where it had just started to snow.

"George!" Luna pulled the cloak out of his hands and slid her arms into it. "What's wrong with you?"

"You." He put an arm around her middle and began to twist. "You're wrong with me."

They landed a moment later on the cobblestone sidewalk in Diagon Alley. It had been snowing longer there and a thick blanket already covered the sidewalk. Realizing he would have to set Harry and Ron to removing snow again first thing in the morning was not doing much to improve his mood. The two were getting ready to revolt as it was.

"George, what's wrong?" Luna looked close to tears, normally, George would have felt chagrined with himself for making a girl cry, but he was coming to realize that there was something off about Luna. Something about her was not jibbing with the Luna of his memories, few of them that there were. He had barely known her back then, all he knew was Luna at a glance, but what he did remember was a girl who was strong and tough, she did not take crap from anybody … and, she spoke her mind.

It was perfectly normal for people to be changed by war. Luna had been through terrible things and that was bound to make people different… more afraid, more delicate. Luna was too afraid, she was too delicate, and she was far too worried about pleasing others.

But this was neither the time, nor the place. The streets were crowded with Sunday shoppers, George was one of the few shopkeepers who still closed his doors on Sunday's this close to Christmas. He might have opened too … if not for the fact that he had wanted to spend the day with Luna.

It made him even more irritated with her.

"Nothing." He faked a smile that she did not buy and went for the stairs. "Let's get those corks, the others will be waiting on us."

Luna looked after him dejectedly, and then followed him up the stairs, brushing past him on the top three. She pasted her own fake smile on, and then turned to him. "You don't have to come in; I'll only be a minute."

The truth was she did not want George to see just how pathetically she had been planning to spend the holidays. She was embarrassed now by the pitiful little evergreen branch in the old jar, particularly compared with the lovely tree Ginny and the others had found. It was not just sad … it was pathetic… but the tree wasn't the very worst thing.

George realized of course that if Luna did not want him to come inside, there had to be a reason.

"Hiding something?" He stepped past her into the dark room. Luna didn't turn on the lights in the hopes that George would not see the most pathetic part of Luna's discarded Christmas…the thing that hung on the small chandelier in the sitting room.

"George, why are you angry with me?" Luna kept her eyes downward, determined that he would not look up…even if she had to point out her makeshift tree in a jar.

"Because, I am." He stood against the dark mantle, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Good argument." Luna rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen, coming back a moment later with the jar of corks. "Okay, we can go now."

George's eyebrow quirked up. "Why don't you want me here?"

"Don't be silly, of course I want you here." Luna attempted, and failed badly, to lie.

"What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"George…" Luna sighed in exasperation, ready to do the utterly Japanese thing and throw herself on her own sword … at least, the least sharp of her two swords.

"Fine." She moved and pointed at her make shift Christmas tree.

"You see now? Ginny and Hermione saw it when they were here the other day and they ended up feeling sorry for me. I … I didn't want you feeling sorry for me too."

George's lips quirked up into a grin. "You really do like pathetic little Christmas trees, don't you?"

"It's not even a tree; it's a branch I found on the ground." Luna gave a small, false little laugh. "I could have had the whole thing. I could have gone all out and decorated like your family… I just didn't see the point."

"Like hanging mistletoe that will never be used?" He nodded at the chandelier; Luna's head shot up guiltily.

"Yeah, I saw it. First thing I noticed really."

"Why?"

"You didn't turn on the lights; I figured there had to be a reason."

Luna sighed and sank down in a chair. "I took it from our garden, to have something here that belonged to my father. He and mum planted it the year they built the house … the year I was born."

"I remember the garden." George nodded. "Mum used to send us to buy some from your father every year."

"It was a lovely garden." Luna smiled sadly, "You must think I am pretty pathetic. Christmas trees that aren't Christmas trees and Mistletoe with no one to kiss."

"Not pathetic, just alone." George shrugged away from the mantle and crossed the room. He took her hands and pulled her until they both stood under the mistletoe. "Besides, you may have had no one to kiss then, but you do now."

Luna smiled up at him nervously; she still had no idea why George had been mad at her when they first left the Burrow. "I thought you were mad at me."

"I got over it." George grinned and pulled her close against his chest.

"Really?"

"Really." He lowered his head and brushed the tip of his nose across hers. So sweet, so tantalizing… so close.

"Mistletoe has that kind of effect on me."

"Maybe we should take it down …" Luna gripped the front of his cloak tight in her fists, he was close…closer than he had been the night in the forest. She felt the slightest whisper of his breath against her lips and her skin burst into goose bumps. "…so we can take it back with us … would be shame to waste it."

George looked deeply into her eyes, a look so intense she couldn't have looked away if she had wanted to.

"It won't be wasted." He whispered, his lips brushed over hers, once, twice, three times… and then they connected. Once again George and Luna were showered in golden sparks… but this time … they weren't from Ginny Weasley's wand.

For the first time in her life, Luna refused to think beyond the moment. She was perfectly happy were she was, there was no where else she needed to be … and no one else she needed to be with. It was her very first kiss, she had never been held like this before, no one had ever touched her face or stroked her hair the way that George was at that very moment.

She had nothing at all to compare it to, but she knew it would never be better than this with anyone else. In those few moments she had made her choice… she would either spend her life with George, or she would spend it alone.

Those were her only two options and she didn't want any others; she didn't need any others.

Unlike Luna, George had been kissed before. He had in fact been kissed plenty. Hell, he had even been kissed by one of Fleur's Veela cousins. But compared to kissing Luna, he might never have been kissed at all. The experience was beyond comprehension. Not as minor as flesh meeting flesh, nor as simple as lips and tongues touching… it was other worldly, a joining of the souls … two separate paths merging into a single shared journey.

There could … there would be no one else for him now. Either he would be with her, or he would be with no one.

He too, had no other options.

George broke the kiss, pulling her even closer to him. The words came to him easily … far too easily. It was too soon and yet it felt like they had been together forever rather than just a few days. He wondered if she was thinking the words just as he was, and if she was, was it as hard for her to hold them back as it was for him?

Neither seemed in any hurry to speak, neither seemed in any hurry to move; if they had not had need of air, perhaps they might not have even breathed.

The moment was too perfect.

"Your family will be worried." Luna spoke at last; her hands had not loosened her grip on his cloak and she made no effort to move away. She was no more willing to let go of him … to let go of the moment … than he was to let go of her.

But it was getting late, and his family would be worried. George started to untangle his hands from her hair, but pulled her close instead and kissed her. Who knew when they would be alone again?

Of course, he was more determined now than ever to arrange for that very thing.

The urge to say the words bubbled up in him again the instant he pulled away and he saw to his pleasure that Luna seemed to be struggling to not say something as well. If history was reliable they were on the same page as usual… even if it was too soon to say the words out loud.

"Wait." George reluctantly let her go, and then reached up for the little red ribbon that Luna had used to tie the Mistletoe to the chandelier "We'll be taking this with us."

"Of course. We should make sure it gets plenty of use." Luna took his hand, slid the jar of corks into the pocket of her cloak and turned towards the door. She stopped for a moment, and then turned back, picking up the evergreen branch in the jar.

"This little guy deserves a Happy Christmas too I think."

"I think you're right." George bent his head and gave her a short, sweet kiss. "Everyone deserves a Happy Christmas.. even puny trees."

The yard surrounding the Burrow was alive with fluttering light by the time they arrived. Apparently, they had missed Ginny's ceremonious releasing of the Christmas fairies. Now, they clung to every last branch of evergreen garland that surrounded the yard, eaves, and windows. The sight that greeted them inside was even grander. As usual, there was not a single place that Ginny had left bare; the fairies had swarmed to cover the evergreen in those spots as well. George stepped over to the end of the stairwell that lead upstairs and held out Luna's tiny evergreen branch, and then shook the garland attached to the banister. A handful of fairies took flight for a brief moment, then landed on the small branch George held and brining it to life with sparkling light.

Luna smiled at him, her eyes soft and full of longing. George wished more than anything that they were alone again and had just begun plotting ways to arrange it when a happy cry from the other room made Luna turn away.

"George, Luna!" Molly came towards them, her hands full of tinsel "There you two are! I was starting to worry."

"Luna … err…" George foundered for an convenient excuse. He could hardly tell his mother the real reason they had taken so long.

"I couldn't find the lid for the jar..." Luna stepped in smoothly "…And then of course, George was curious, so I had to give him a tour of my flat … not that there is all that much to see."

"Yes she did." George gave Luna a grateful look. It wasn't often that he had difficulty coming up with excuses, but when he did he seemed to do it with such remarkable talent that he made up for lost time. "Look mum, Luna had a sprig of Mistletoe."

George realized his mistake the moment the words left his mouth. He should have said that they had picked it up from the street vendor … or something…anything else. Anything but blabbing out Luna's secret to his mother.

"Yes." Luna smiled serenely, not minding in the least what George had just let slip. "It came from my father's garden. I wanted to have a part of him with me."

"Of course dear." Molly patted Luna's cheek. She of all people understood; she too had been clinging to every tiny piece of Fred she could find. "Of course I understand, and that is why we will need to find a special place for this."

Molly crossed her arms and spun in a slow circle, scrutinizing every last nook and cranny for the perfect place for Luna's mistletoe. There were four doorways that lead into the kitchen; one of them would be perfect.

"Ah yes …" She smiled and pointed to the one she knew drew the heaviest traffic. "This one George. Put it here."

George slid the jar with the evergreen branch on the top of the kitchen mantle … it seemed a nice place for it … and took the mistletoe from Luna. Their eyes met for only a moment, but it was enough to make Luna's mind flash back onto wonderful memories only moments old. A delicate blush stained her cheeks while she watched George tie the sprig of mistletoe into place in the entry between the kitchen and the sitting room. It was sure to get a lot of use there.

George, on the other hand, didn't need mistletoe.

"So, we should get busy with those Nargle charms." He turned back to Luna, his eyes sparkling with the promise of mischief. "You said the corks need to be purified in snow first?"

Luna looked at him, confused for a moment. She had never said any such thing. In fact, the corks needed to be very warm for the charm to take hold… Nargles liked the cold, that was why they were so partial to evergreen.

"We better get busy." He took her hand and pulled her back out the door, then around to the side of the house where it was dark enough that they wouldn't be seen.

"George, you can't put the corks in the snow … Nargles like the cold."

"Oh." He said simply, wrapping his arms around her and backing her up against the back of the house. "Guess we better not put them in the snow then."

"But then why did you …"

"Luna," George bent his head and brushed his lips over hers. "You are going to have to work with me here."

Luna giggled "You are going to have to cut me some slack, I am not used to all this clandestine, cloak and dagger, sneaking around business."

"We don't have to sneak around." George shrugged. "It's not like we have anything to be ashamed of. I could go back in right now and tell them that I dragged you out here because I had an overwhelming need to snog you … again. Of course, it would mean confessing that we had already been snogging in your flat. All alone, with no parental supervision …"

Luna giggled and stood on her tip toes, pulling his head down to hers. His kiss was as sweet as she remembered, but even better … this time she wasn't nervous, and this time … it felt even more right.

They parted and George took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The words were there again … the words that it was far too soon to feel, much less to say. Yet he had to say something. He felt as though his feelings would eat him alive if he kept them inside. He had to tell her, she had to know … and he had to know if she felt the same.

"I could tell them that I never want to kiss anyone else ever again."

Luna smiled and a small trace of tears broke from the corner of her eyes. "I've never kissed anyone but you, and I don't want to."

George knew that he was smiling like an idiot, that if the others saw him they would never let him hear the end of it. A part of him didn't care, but another part wanted to keep it just between them. He knew eventually they would have to know and he wanted them to know. Someday, he would climb to the roof, stand at the very top of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and yell it out for all of Diagon Alley to hear… but not now, not when it was still new. He wanted to keep it close; he wanted to keep it private.

"Do you want to tell them?" He had to ask, it was new to Luna too, and maybe she wanted to share.

"Part of me does. I've never had this before; it's so new and exciting."

"If that's what you want …"

"That's just it, part of me doesn't too." She laughed up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Does that make any sense?"

"It makes perfect sense."

"You know they are going to tease us as it is about the mistletoe, and really, they would have to be pretty dim to not figure it out on their own anyway. I imagine I must look pretty sappy when I look at you. At the very least, I know I will now."

George shook with laughter; Luna had just made a pretty damned good point. He had to be looking pretty sappy himself these days, probably had been since coming back with her from Diagon Alley the very first night.

"Me too."

Luna sighed and lifted her face to the falling snow. The flakes had been small when they left Diagon Alley, now they were increasing in size again. It was the way George enjoyed seeing her most, her hair laced with snow with flakes fluttering on her eyelashes… when the snow made her look like an angel.

"You realize of course, this is pretty much a moot discussion." She said simply. "They already know something is going on."

"Of course they do." George leaned down and kissed her again. He had to do it while he could after all, they had been gone way too long, and someone would be coming to check on them soon.

"They don't need to know everything though." He pulled away and took her hand, then kicked a few holes in the snow bank near the house to make it look as if they had been purifying butterbeer corks. It was pretty much a useless attempt, but hell, he had to at least try.

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Chapter Seven Preview

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Private thoughts

cause Luna to panic, can George break through her fears…

or will she walk away?

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