Work Text:
“Uncle Harry, Uncle Harry,” Teddy squealed, barreling out of his grandmother's house and flinging himself at Harry with his arms held aloft. Harry grabbed hold of him and swung him round in a circle before gathering him in close.
Teddy snuggled into his chest, his hair rapidly cycling through a range of hues before settling on the messy black style he usually favoured when spending time with his uncle.
“Aunty Nuna says we are going to see magical reindeer,” Teddy announced, the cute way Teddy said Luna always brought a smile. Teddy pushed himself back a little and beamed up at Harry. He started to wriggle and Harry set him back on the ground. “Come see!" Teddy pulled on Harry's hand.
Harry followed Teddy back inside Andromeda's house. The bright airy hallway was littered with toys. A large green soft toy dragon was poking out of the kitchen. A miniature broomstick was propped under the coat stand, with a deep green helmet embossed with a silver snake hung from its handle. Harry suppressed a chuckle, he knew exactly who'd bought Teddy that. Former animosity had given way to a friendly competition as to which Uncle’s Hogwarts house Teddy would eventually end up in. Although Harry would never admit it to Draco, he did think Slytherin was possibly a better fit; Teddy was extremely accomplished at manipulating adults into giving him his own way.
“Aunty Nuna, I got Uncle Harry, we go now,” Teddy demanded as they rounded the door into Andromeda's living room.
“Soon, my impatient niffler, very soon,” Luna sang from her position seated cross-legged on the floor. Her wand was in her hand and she was corralling a small group of silvery reindeer into a box. “Firstly though, we have to tidy up.” Lego was strewn across the carpet, a large tower of wooden blocks had collapsed in one corner, and a small army of soft toys were heaped precariously on the sofa.
Teddy galloped round the room with his hands held to the sides of his head, jumping over the obstructions on the floor. “Look, look, I'm a reindeer. I have antlers.”
Luna rose gracefully to her feet, her radish earrings tinkling as her head moved. She daintily stepped through the chaos and brushed a kiss on Harry's cheek. “How was your day?”
“Fine,” Harry responded.
Luna frowned. “If it was fine, why are the nargles coalescing around your ears?” She raised her hand and caressed his cheek. “You know, not fine is also an acceptable answer.”
Harry sighed. “I know, it's just…” Even after two years together, he still wasn't used to the fact that Luna just knew him.
“You don't have to pretend with me, Harry.” Luna peered at him through her large purple glasses. She tucked a sprig of mistletoe behind his ear. "To chase away the nargles," she explained. "But it only works if you share what's wrong."
“Another Death Eater was captured,” Harry said, dropping his voice to a murmur only Luna would hear. “It wasn't pretty. He made all manner of threats. Including some pretty specific ones about…” He gestured at the young boy still prancing around the room as if he were a reindeer.
“We’ll make sure he's safe.”
"I know, it's just…" Harry pulled the mistletoe from his ear and twirled it in his fingers.
"There's another meaning of this, you know." Luna plucked the mistletoe from his hand and held it over his head. Pushing up on tiptoe, she left a lingering kiss on Harry's lips.
"Eww, Aunty Nuna," Teddy said. He giggled as he dodged out of reach of Harry's attempt to catch him.
"We will keep him safe," she said, no hint of her usual airyness. She caught hold of Teddy, saying much more loudly, “Right, little reindeers need to tidy up.”
Teddy squirmed in her arms, but eventually he nodded and she set him back down. He raced around throwing all of his toys into a large basket.
"Ready," he announced, coming to a halt in front of Andromeda.
“Have a lovely time.” Andromeda planted a kiss on Teddy's cheek. “Don't go upsetting any of the reindeer otherwise they won't bring you presents.”
“I won't Grandma, I'll be good. So quiet, they won't even know I'm there.” Teddy made an exaggerated shushing sound with one finger pressed to his lips.
"That'll be a miracle," Harry said.
Andromeda laughed.
Harry scooped Teddy into his arms. Then he grasped Luna's hand and they twisted on the spot.
The reindeer herd were situated in the Cairngorms. Magic suppressing charms prevented them from taking flight whilst they were in the locations accessible to muggles. However once they crossed the boundary to the Wizarding only side, they were free to fly as they wished.
The three of them landed beside the rickety entry gate. A bored looking wizard in a small hut barely glanced up at them as Harry handed over the two sickles and five knuts for entry.
"Through the gate and turn left," the wizard said in a monotone, still staring at his lap. "Wands must remain stowed at all times. Do not attempt to ride the reindeer." He pushed three tickets at them and one crooked carrot.
"We go fly," Teddy shouted. The dusting of snow on the winding path crunched under their thick dragonhide boots as Teddy led Harry past a pair of gnarled oak trees.
"We aren't flying today, Teddy," Harry replied, ruffling Teddy's hair. Harry pulled a woolly hat from his pocket and pulled it down over the tips of Teddy's ears.
"But Aunty Nuna said they are magical reindeer," Teddy protested with his face scrunched up.
"They are magical," Luna confirmed, slipping her hand into Teddy's other hand. "They'll be flying, but we can't today."
"I want to fly!"
"Maybe you could fly another way…" Luna suggested. "Ready, Harry? One, two, three." Teddy jumped and they swung him forwards using his arms. He squealed with laughter.
"Again, again," Teddy chanted, still giggling.
Up the path they wove, swinging Teddy to his repeated demands. A crisp winter breeze ruffled the last few remaining leaves from their branches. They drifted to the ground, mingling with the lightly falling snow.
The path ended and Teddy dropped his hold, running ahead towards the fence. A small crowd of adults and children were leaning against it.
Luna twirled through the snowflakes with arms outstretched, catching them on her palms. "I love snow," she declared. "It's so pretty."
"It is," Harry agreed, catching Luna around the waist and pulling her into his side. He kept his eyes fixed on Teddy, he was jabbing his carrot through a gap in the fence. Several other families were also brandishing carrots. A few steps away from the group a solitary man pulled the edges of his dark grey cloak tighter around his chest; his eyes were fixed on the cluster of people. Harry ran his fingers across the comforting wood of his wand in his pocket.
"And look!" Luna said, pointing up. "More mistletoe, maybe your nargles will finally disapparate." All around the paddock were bare trees, high up in the branches spheres of greenery were scattered.
"I'm sure it will," Harry agreed, forcing a smile in her direction and guiding her towards where Teddy was excitedly shouting at the small herd of reindeer. Unsurprisingly, the reindeer were wary about approaching a noisy child exuberantly waving a carrot at them.
Luna knelt down beside Teddy and wrapped her arms around him. "Remember," she told him softly, "if you want them to come close you have to be very quiet."
Teddy stilled, carrot still held in his outstretched hand. "I be very quiet," he whispered.
A reindeer cautiously approached, it bumped Teddy's fingers with its nose before tugging the carrot from his grasp. The carrot disappeared with a crunch.
Teddy beamed up at Harry. "Uncle Harry. Did you see? Did you see? It took the carrot."
"It did indeed," Harry replied. Turning distractedly, he continued observing the man leaning on a cane fashioned from an antler. He didn't seem to be part of any of the groups visiting.
"Is everything okay, Harry?" Luna asked, following his gaze.
"Yes, it's just…"
"Let's fix this," Luna said decisively. "The mistletoe has been unsuccessful at vanquishing those nargles."
Before Harry could protest, she'd marched up to the stranger. Harry sometimes wondered if she should have been in Gryffindor, she was certainly brave enough.
"Lovely day to watch the reindeer, isn't it?" she said in greeting.
The man chuckled. "That it is. Pity some people don't just watch… Oi, get down off that fence," he suddenly shouted as a child a few years older than Teddy started clambering up the wood.
The child sheepishly retreated to behind his mother, not meeting the man's fixed stare. The man turned back to Luna. "Anyway, I'm Tom and this is my herd." He gestured at the reindeer.
"Luna, and lovely to meet you."
"Aunty Nuna, Aunty, Nuna, come quick." Teddy pulled on Luna's robe. "They are flying!"
"They have to get their practise in for the big day," Tom said, as a reindeer flew low over their heads; Harry instinctively ducked. "Lots of precision landings will be needed."
The reindeer clattered to a halt on the stone track through the field, hooves kicking up dust and snow.
"These are Santa's reindeer?" Teddy asked.
"The very same." Tom winked at Harry, his lip curling up in a knowing smile. "That's why we are feeding them carrots, to help them see in the dark."
Teddy ran back to the fence as another reindeer took flight with a run.
"Thank you," Luna said to Tom. She pulled another sprig of mistletoe from her pocket and passed it to Harry. "See, it worked, all the nargles have gone."
"All thanks to you." He held the mistletoe over her head and leant down to kiss her.