This collection will mostly be hurt/comfort but I'm planning on trying out a whole heap of different genres. They will not all be Christmas related I just felt like this would be nice to start it off.

I've never written Luna before so if you guys could let me know how it went I would appreciate it. Harry too of course but I'm especially nervous about writing Luna.

Written for Christmas Collection Competition using prompts:

49. (Dialogue) "The two most joyous times of the year are Christmas morning and the end of school."

38. (Food/drink) Gingerbread (House/Man).

Please enjoy

Harry watched as the students with proper families hurried to catch the train home. He watched until they were out of sight and then turned back towards the common room. The empty common room. Shoulders slumped and eyes down Harry had no way of knowing that there was a set of strangely focused eyes following his movements. A set of eyes that just happened to reflect the sadness and neglect shown in his body language. Though only for a moment. Very quickly those eyes lost focus as the mind attached was distracted by her upcoming date. Maybe Harry would like to come.

"There are many Nargles around Christmas time did you know."

Harry turned around so fast he tripped on his own feet, crashing to the floor.

"Evil little things Nargles are."

Harry raised his wide eyes up to the blonde standing before him. "Hi Luna"

"What are you still doing on the floor Harry? Do get up; you're going to be late."

Doing as he was told Harry's face contorted into a confused frown. He opened his mouth to ask what exactly he was going to be late for when Luna placed a hand to his check freezing the words in his throat.

"We must go or we will be late" she said slightly tapping his check.

Harry could only nod and follow the girl who had started to hum a muggle lullaby. Harry studied the girl. Her blonde hair reminded him a lot of the Malfoy family but Luna couldn't be more different from them. She seemed to have no worries, always smiling that secretive smile. He knows the majority of Hogwarts thought it was a vacant one but he didn't believe so. He believed that Luna knew more and learnt more than anyone gave her credit for.

"We're here."

The sudden stop almost sent Harry back onto the floor but he managed to regain his balance this time. Looking around he realised he was in front of the portrait that lead to the kitchens. Luna reached to tickle the pear but he grabbed her wrist before she had a chance.

"Luna, what are we doing here?" Luna flashed him another sly smile, her eyes showing mischief.

"Welcome to Santa's Workshop" Having absolutely nothing cleared up Harry released the petite arm and tickled the pear himself. His confusion and every other thought in his head quickly evaporated at the sight of the kitchens.

"Wha-"A hand placing itself over his mouth halted the question before it had even been formed.

"Just relax" Luna said "We must go to help now. They love it when we come to visit."

Shrugging his shoulder Harry gave up on his curiosity and decided to just go with the flow. He studied the kitchen that was full of gingerbread shapes. There was colour everywhere. Harry walked towards the station where Dobby was all set up. He was holding a bowl of smarties and placing them on the gingerbread men as buttons. He was surrounded by piles of completed gingerbread men and incomplete ones. He saw Luna drift towards where an elf was placing the roof on a gingerbread house and another was lining the windows with liquorice. Harry couldn't keep the smile off his face any longer. This is brilliant.

The afternoon was spent placing buttons on men and eventually doors on houses. Luna had started singing at one point and eventually Harry had joined in. He could honestly say it was a fun night. Something he hasn't had in a while. Curfew came around pretty quickly and they had to head off to their common rooms, Luna back to humming lullabies.

"You know" Harry said after a while of walking in silence "My relatives hated to make gingerbread men or houses. They liked eating them sure but the creation was always too fiddly for them. I was the one making them, one of my extra chores for the holidays."

Luna didn't indicate that she was listening not halting in her humming once but Harry didn't notice himself, so emerged in the past.

"It was the one chore I enjoyed, I never got to eat my work but making them was always fun." Harry paused halting his walk at the same time. Luna didn't turn but she did stop both walking and humming. "I don't do it anymore. I don't go home for Christmas. I'm not welcome."

Luna didn't look at the boy in front of her, she didn't look away from the space her eyes were currently focusing on but grabbed his hand in her soft one. He flinched slightly, having being lost in memories and gazed at her hand. They stood there in silence not moving for a moment but then Luna tugged them forward. They walked in silence for a while again until they reached the Ravenclaw common room.

"For most children the two most joyous times of the year are Christmas morning and the end of school."

Harry looked towards Luna but she had her eyes focusing on their still joint hands.

"But for some, those days are only another reminder that they are alone, disregarded, disliked and forgotten. For people like us those days are a struggle. Sometimes it just takes a little gingerbread and everything feels better."

Luna looked up now, directly into the wide eyes of the boy next to her.

A.N: Thanks for reading

WolfWinks -xx-