December 5: 1997
20 days until Christmas…
"Wow, did you do all this?" Ginny asked in astonishment, peering through the door and taking in the leafy garlands and silver baubles strewn around the Room of Requirement.
Neville pulled at his collar uncomfortably. "Luna helped, too."
Luna smiled absentmindedly. "Yes. It was fun."
"All right, I have to go see if the others have come," Ginny said, "But thanks. It looks a lot happier, and we could definitely do with some more holiday cheer."
She disappeared around the corner, leaving Luna and Neville standing alone.
"Mistletoe," Neville blurted into the silence, plucking up all his courage to take a step towards Luna.
She looked up. "Oh, we'd better move."
"Um… yeah," Neville stammered, taking a step backwards and blushing.
Luna nodded. "Mistletoe is often home to Nargles. Very itchy and distracting."
A serene smile curled up the corners of her mouth as she fixed her eyes on him. "But you weren't thinking about Nargles, were you?"
"No," Neville confessed. "Not really."
She cocked her head to the side, her radish earrings swinging. "How strange. I've never been in love before. It feels like Wrackspurts floating around my heart."
"We're about to start the meeting," Ginny announced. "C'mon, you two."
Neville held his hand out to Luna, and she intertwined her fingers with his as they walked into the Room of Requirement.
It wasn't what he had in mind, Neville reflected, but it was just as good.
Oh, Luna. Never afraid to speak her mind. *cough cough unlike some people who show up on story traffic stats but don't leave a review cough cough*