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December 28th, 2007
 | 07:54 pm - The last Advent Mistletoe
Colin and I lay awake in bed, holding each other. He seems to like rubbing his thumb over my left ring finger and though I like feeling his touch, I like not feeling it for just that small moment. Because it means that we are engaged.
I squeeze him really tight for just a moment, just at the thought that we are engaged. I do love knowing that. Even though I love him very much and I know he loves me very much, the thought that we are engaged makes me feel so very light and overflowing.
"I think I would like to fetch some for Dad's hearth as well," I whisper into the dark room.
"Fetch some what?" he asks, his voice also a whisper.
"Mistletoe. It is the last time and it extra special mistletoe because it is Christmas. And it is extra powerful because it is a natural full moon. So it will be extra powerful special mistletoe."
"Where do you get it?" he questions.
"From the tree," I answer. "But I shall have to use a silver knife again."
He frowns. "I don't think we have one."
"We can apparate home," I say. "And use ours. Would you like to come with me for the special Christmas advent mistletoe trip?"
"Now?" he asks, glancing over at the clock to check the time.
"At the witching hour is the best," I say. "It is really the best when the moon is at its fullest and highest, but I am unsure when that is tonight as I haven't my lunar chart near."
"What happens if the moon isn't at its fullest or highest?"
"The magic of the mistletoe isn't as strong as it would be." I turn on my side and look into his eyes. The light of the full moon shining through the window glimmers in his eyes.
"What kind of magic does it have?" he asks, one hand still on my left hand, playing with the ring, the other running through my hair.
"Very ancient magic. Some of it is uncertain. It is the magic of the druids, you see."
He nods. "I've heard a bit about them. I think we learned a little about them in the History of Magic. It was hard to pay attention though."
"Yes. Their magic was very closely tied to the elements, in the sun and celestial beings, and the earth and her fruit. There is a story they tell in norse mythology," I explain. "Frigga's son Balder had a dream about his death and so Frigga made everything promise not to harm him, because he was the summer sun. But there was one thing she did not make promise and a mischievous god used this thing to kill him by its poison on an arrow tip. That thing was mistletoe and it did kill him, but then Frigga cried on the mistletoe and it felt sad and her tears became white berries on it and her son came back to life. And so in gratitude, Frigga blessed the mistletoe so that anybody who stood under it would not be harmed and would be entitled to a kiss as a token of love." I kiss him. "That is the legend as I know it."
"I like that part of the tradition," he smiles.
"I do, too. Mum and Daddy did, too." I kiss him again just as we hear clock chimes start from somewhere downstairs. "It is witching hour. Happy Christmas, Colin."
"Happy Christmas, Luna."
I smile and kiss him one more time. "Are you ready to fetch the final advent mistletoe?"
"Yes." he stops. "We should probably put on our coats though."
"Yes," I agree. "Or we could bundle in a quilt together, so that we can apparate directly from here and not worry about waking up Dad or Dennis."
He nods. "Alright. You'll have to lead the apparation."
"Yes, I will do that, then," I say, sitting up. Together, we gather up the quilt from the top of his bed and wrap it around ourselves. Then with a twist, we are away and reappear in the hut. "I must go fetch the silver knife. You can stay up here and keep the quilt warm." I kiss him again and our breaths join together in a cloud between us.
He nods, curling it a bit tighter. "Hurry back."
"I will." I slip down and out of the circle of Colin, quilt, and warmth, and kneel on the floor by the door. With a quick spell, I unlock it and swing it up, then hurry down the spiraling staircase. As I run down, I think about the love between us and how it is a circle like the ring and the stone in it, and a spiral, going up and up and bigger and greater. I am still thinking of it when I take the knife from the mantle and hurry back up the stairs with the mistletoe bag.
"I am back," I say after I have secured the door and put the knife safe in the bag. He opens the quilt for me and pulls be close, wrapping his arms, and the quilt around both of us. He smiles, then gives me an eskimo kiss. "Mmm, you are very warm," I say. "Here we go to the mistletoe tree!"
"You'll have to lead the apparation."
I smile and we twist and appear in the mistletoe forest. "Perhaps next year we can fly up," I say and reach up for a branch. I pull myself up and out of the quilt and Colin's hug. "Though I don't mind climbing. Here is my hand."
"I weigh more than you," he reminds me as he fold the quilt, putting it over one of the branches of another tree. Then, grabbing onto the branch, he pulls himself onto it.
"I've an idea," I say as we climb through the branches.
"And what's that?" he asks, following.
"Well, you can cut the branch for Dad, I can cut the branch for Ness Keep, and we can together cut the branch for the treehouse." I look down at him and smile. "It is a very special place, even more special than it was a day ago!"
He grins back at me. "Just be careful," he cautions me.
"I will. Thank you." We smile at each other for a moment and then continue up through the oak branches.
Finally we reach the part of the tree with the large cluster of mistletoe. I sit in the crook of one of the branches and give Colin my hand to guide him to a sturdy branch. "First," I say when we are both seated and our breath is blowing thick and white in the air. "I will cut the branch for home." I open the mistletoe bag and take out the silver knife, which I slice through the base of a thick green branch with. Then I denargle it.
Colin opens the bag so I can place the branch in it. Then I take the bag and hand him the knife. "And now you can cut the branch for Dad."
He takes the knife and cuts through one of the branches, then denargle it as I showed him earlier this month. "I think he'll like this and so will Abby."
"Oh yes," I agree. "I can tell that they do already." I open the bag for him to put the branch in and then put my hand on his that is holding the knife. "And now we cut together. Are you ready?"
He nods. "Ready." Carefully, we cut through another branch.
I hold open the bag for us and we place the branch inside on top of the other two and then place the knife alongside them. "Now we can collect your quilt and hang the mistletoe."
He starts down first. "Careful, some of the branches are icy," he warns.
"Thank you, I will. And I know that you will be, too." We climb down together until we have reached the ground and Colin takes the quilt and puts it around me first. I pull him toward me and wrap him in it, too. We are both quite cold from climbing through the winter night in our night clothing. Then I look up and see that we are directly under the large cluster of mistletoe in the oak tree. "Merry Christmas and I love you very much," I say before I kiss him.
"I love you too," he smiles, rubbing my arms. We stay like this for a moment until he asks, "Ready to deliver them?"
"Yes. Let us deliver the one at the treehouse first," I suggest. It is such a special place and I do wish we could hang it there first and spend a very long time together there, but I know that it is cold and we need to return to Dad's house. "So you will need to take us there."
He hugs me close and steps, turning and we both apparate into the treehouse. We stand still hugging and look around the room. "Where would the hearth be?" I ask. "Did you used to pretend it was a house with a kitchen and a fireplace and a bedroom?"
"We pretended it was more like a fort," he admits.
"Oh. And I suppose forts don't have hearths." I turn around so that he is against my back and his arms are around my waist. I wriggle the mistletoe bag out and open it to take out the mistletoe. "Where do people hang mistletoe in forts?"
"We can find a place for it."
I smile then. "I know a perfect place." We walk together to the place where we had stood earlier and I make a piece of string come down from the ceiling. Then I tie the mistletoe on, tuck the bag away, and turn around in Colin's arms again.
"Just right," he smiles, kissing me. "Next stop?" he asks.
I squeeze him tight and we appear outside the hut in Ness Keep. This time we both go downstairs and I take out both sprigs of mistletoe. The top of the two I set aside to use for later, but the bottom I hand to Colin as I set down the bag. The crackling fire in the hearth warms us up as we both fix a string to the ceiling with our magic and tie the mistletoe to it. "Perhaps we had better floo to Dad's house," I say tipping up to kiss him.
"That'd be best. But we have to be quiet so we don't wake anyone up."
I take a pinch of floo powder, then replace it in our earthenware bowl. "Let's not go back quite yet," I say. "I think I should like to give you your present now."
"Now?" he repeats.
"Unless you would rather wait, but it is Christmas morning now."
"Oh, it is," he nods, grinning.
I take his hands, which are warming up. "So would you like to open it now? I like that we open our presents to each other together, alone."
"Well, yours wasn't really wrapped," he admits.
"I don't think I wrapped yours either," I reply. "If that is alright. It is only in a small case."
"That's fine."
"Then wait here, if you will," I say and kiss his nose. It is still very cold. I put my hand over it for just a moment before I run for the stairs down to the lower level.
When I return, I am holding the crystal case in my hands. Colin is crouching by the fire and rubbing his nose. "Here it is," I say, rushing over to him and taking his quilt so that I can lay it on the floor for us to sit on.
He sits down and looks at the case, I'm holding. I hand it to him and sit beside him, snuggling close. "Here you are. Happy Christmas."
He takes it from my hands and opens it. Inside is a silver ribbon that moves like liquid. He smiles and looks up at me. "What are the memories of?"
"Of growing up," I answer. "You can meet my mother."
He smiles even more. "Really? That sounds wonderful."
"I do hope you think so." I smile and lean toward him to kiss him. "I have given you my past, and you have given me our future. I think it is a lovely exchange of presents."
"And of course, we have the present," he adds, kissing me.
"Mm-hmm." I kiss him again and then lean more into him. "I do wish we didn't need to return so soon to Dad's house. I should like to unwrap something under the tree, or perhaps give all of you kisses under the mistletoe."
"We'll have time for that," he says. "I promise."
"Oh good." I grin and lean into him some more, making him lean back. "Which would you like? By the fireplace or under the tree?"
"The tree," he smiles. "We have the fireplace all year round, but not the tree."
"I like that idea," I agree and back up, taking hold of the edge of the quilt. "Do you know, this will be our first time as fiances, and I think under the Christmas tree is a wonderful place for that sort of occassion."
"It will be," he smiles. "But not our last."
"Oh, I certainly hope not," I say and pull the quilt with him on it toward the tree. "Oh. Mobiliarmus." The quilt raises up and hovers above the floor, and then I direct it to under the tree. Then, before I remove the spell, I crawl onto it and sit next to him. "Perhaps someday we can make love in the air. And we would simply feel only each other."
"We will. Maybe when the air is a bit warmer," he responds.
I take off the spell and we float back to the ground. "Perhaps it can be a honeymoon treat," I suggest. "Under the Christmas tree is a beautiful engagement treat, and just us with nothing else will be for marriage." I set my wand on the tree kilt and lean toward him, then up against him, running my hand down his pyjama top. "I love you."
He leans back and runs his hands down my arms, then slips them under my nightshirt. "I love you, too," he says and we kiss, the fireflies blinking above us on our spruce's branches.
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