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“Merry Christmas, Theo.”
Theo’s head popped up to see Luna Lovegood, standing in the doorway with two cups of steaming hot cocoa in her hands. Her lips were pulled up into a small smile no different than the one he’d grown used to seeing on her face everyday since he’d arrived on the Order’s doorstep.
Theo gestured to the couch cushion beside him. “You too, Luna.”
He wasn’t sure he’d ever spoke five words to her. But he’d grown up a pureblood gentleman and that was the mountain he’d die on.
She walked in with a little skip to her step, offering him the red chipped mug and keeping the green one for herself.
He raised the mug slightly. “Cheers, thanks Luna.”
“How are you liking it here so far?”
Theo swallowed down the snort and sipped his hot chocolate as he gained his composure.
“Uhh… feels good to be on the right side of things, for once.”
Luna nodded minutely, summoning a bag of marshmallows from the kitchen. Theo watched as she added six to her cup in the shape of a smiley face.
“I do hope everyone is treating you fairly,” she said, twirling her fingers to wandlessly mix her drink. “I admire you and Pansy for what you did.
Theo straightened his spine. “Don’t say that.”
The words fell from his mouth before his brain could process them. Theo swallowed against his dry throat before bringing the cup to his lips for another sip.
But Luna merely smiled up at him, a little deeper than he’d yet seen. “I know it seems impossible to come back from the actions of the past, but the fact that you’re here says more than you think.”
“I don’t think you’ve ever done anything wrong in your life, actually.”
Luna sipped from her mug once more before standing and turning to him with a dreamy, all knowing lilt to her voice.
“War has changed us all, hasn’t it?”
Theo sat staring up at her for a moment more before dropping his eyes.
“Mistletoe.”
He jerked his head back up. “Pardon?”
Luna pointed above his head. “There’s mistletoe growing behind you.”
He turned to see a great bow of green and red blossom from the ceiling, ending just a few inches above his head.
“Uhh, sorry.” Theo could feel his face flush.
“For what?”
“You don’t— we don’t— it’s just a silly tradition.” He was waving his hands around like a fool and he fought the urge to flee. Facing the music of his decisions was what had gotten him here, after all.
“No,” Luna agreed. “And we won’t.” She turned and headed for the door before slowly turning and giving him a look that made the blood thrum through his veins. “But perhaps next year we can give it a shot.”
He couldn’t stop the words from toppling from his mouth.
“No sooner?” Maybe he was lonely. Or maybe Luna was different than he’d thought.
She left the room without a response. Theo felt his lips pulling up for the first time in a while.
When he pulled Luna into his arms at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s, she gave him that same, heated look before yanking him in by the collar.
And suddenly, the light side had given him more than just ways to amend his wrongdoings.