Neville and Luna decide to close up their shops early when snow slows customer traffic to a crawl. Can Neville talk Luna into staying at his cottage instead of braving the roads in a snow storm?
Music: Winter Winds by Mumford and Sons
Neville: Have you seen my work gloves?
Luna: Which ones?
Neville: The lined ones, I need to do stuff in the bower
Luna: The top drawer in the cabinet by the back door
Neville: Why there?
Luna: That is always the door you go out to get to the bower
Neville: Found them!
Luna: What are you doing in the bower?
Neville: Checking the evergreens and the trellises
Luna: Have fun
Luna slid her mobile into her pocket and walked towards the kitchen. She needed to start a few more pots of tea before the tea time rush began. Today had been quiet in the shop. The white stuff falling out of the sky might have something to do with her lack of customers today. She had a love/hate relationship with snow. Luna loved to see the white stuff fall, but she hated to see the fall in her business when it did.
The whistling of kettles drew Luna out of her scattered thoughts. She reached for the knobs on the stove to turn off the kettles and start the last pots of tea. She had already decided to close her part of the shop early so she could help Neville with finishing touches on the greenhouse Christmas displays. The snow was a nice excuse for closing early. Watching Neville work in the green house was another. She was going to have to give him an answer to the question he asked the other day, but she wasn't sure she had one yet.
"Luna," Neville's voice echoed from the back of the store. "Can you make me something hot to drink? Even with my gloves, I can't feel my fingers right now."
"Sure, Nev," Luna called back to him. "Earl Grey or Chai? Your giant mug?"
"Chia, please," Neville walked into the kitchen, pulling off his gloves. "The snow is getting worse out there. I'm not sure we should stay open much longer."
"How is the bower holding up?" Luna asked as she poured hot water over the tea ball in his favorite mug. "I know you were worried about the back side if the snow was too heavy."
"It seems to be doing fine." Neville took of his stocking cap and laid his gloves and cap on the counter. "I shored it up some to make sure, but we will have to keep an eye on it. We have a winter wedding out there in a few weeks and I don't want to have to move anything else to cover a hole in the evergreens."
"I'm sure it will be fine." Luna handed Neville his mug. "Drink up and warm your hands. If we are going to close up early, I am going to need your help cleaning up. I haven't had many people stop in for tea today but I have made several pots."
Hermione: Any recommendations for tea to settle my stomach?
Luna: Are you okay?
Hermione: I'm fine. Just having a bit of an upset stomach
Luna: Try chamomile or peppermint
Hermione: Weak or strong?
Luna: Weak for the peppermint, strong for the chamomile
Hermione: How are the roads?
Luna: I haven't checked but Nev said it is coming down pretty good out there
Hermione: I just got a call to close up early
Luna: Good. Call Ron to get you and take you home
Hermione: I can drive in this
Luna: I know that but you hate it and you don't feel good
Hermione: I think I like that idea.
Luna: I was thinking about things we could do as a group
Hermione: For the holidays?
Luna: Yes
Hermione: What were you thinking?
Luna: A cookie exchange
Hermione: What's that?
Luna: Everybody bakes their favorite cookies and we trade cookies and recipes over wine and laughter
Hermione: We had better get beer for the boys
Luna: Sounds like a plan
Hermione: TTYL
Luna: Let me know when you get home
Hermione: You, too
Neville watched Luna text someone on her mobile as he sipped his tea. It was probably one of the girls, based on the way she was smiling. He needed to go back out to the bower to finish shoring up the backside, but it was cold outside and he did not like the cold.
"Do you want to help me finish up the bower so we can head home sooner?' Neville asked as he set down his mug and reached for his hat. "If it keeps up at the rate it is going now, the roads will not be passable in a few hours."
"Let me close up out here." Luna walked to the front window and turned off the sign. "You can help me with clean up after we finish the bower. I may need you to take me home if the snow is too deep."
"I can do that." Neville pulled his stocking cap onto his head. "We can walk to the cottage and then I can drive you. Make sure to bundle up before you come out."
Luna watched Neville walk toward the back door. "I'll be right there. I just have to find my mittens."
"Check your coat sleeve," Neville's voice drifted into the tea shop as the back door closed.
As Luna slide her arm into her coat sleeve, she felt what she had been searching for. "Good thing he knows me," she muttered as she headed for the back door. "I might not have thought to look there."
Harry: Ginny wants everyone to come to our place on Boxing Day
Neville: Why?
Theo: What for?
Ron: Really?
Harry: She wants to have a Chess Club Christmas but she wants everyone to have time with their families on the actual day
Neville: I'm good with that. Closing shop the 21st thru the 27th
Theo: I don't think Daphne has anything planned for us
Ron: Mione says she's good with it
Neville: Is everybody home yet?
Theo: No school for us today so I'm enjoying time at home
Harry: I have to go in later. Snow shifts are still not my favorite shifts
Ron: Almost there but it is slow going
Neville: We are shutting down right now
Harry:Are you taking Luna home?
Theo: And staying with her?
Ron: He is a gentleman
Neville: None of your business
Neville almost dropped his mobile when the snowball hit him in the back of the head. "I thought you were working on the bower, not playing on your mobile." Luna's laughter drifted across the snow covered courtyard."
"I was answering a message from Ron." Neville growled as he slipped his mobile into his pocket. "He was asking about how you were getting home. All of them were."
"So the boys want to know how I am getting home?" Luna bent down to scoop snow into her mitten covered hands. "It is none of their business. I used to think I wanted siblings, then I got the boys of the Chess Club."
"They just worry." Neville shrugged. "If we hurry, it should only take about fifteen minutes to finish work in the bower. Then, we can head home."
"Okay," Luna watched Neville bend down to collect some snow. "What are you doing? I thought you said we had work to get done?'
Neville stood quickly and launched a snowball at Luna's middle. "But, what fun is snow if you don't play in it? First one to five hits wins." Neville ducked behind one of the pillars of the bower and began to create more ammunition.
"No fair!" Luna looked around the courtyard for a safe spot. "You had a chance to set the field before you started the war. Don't you dare, Neville Longbottom."
"All's fair in love in war," Neville's snicker echo from the bower as snowballs flew toward Luna. "Come and get me, Moonbeam."
"Just you wait, Sunshine," Luna gathered her ammunition and stalked towards the bower. "I'm going to win this. Don't start a war with a soldier's daughter and expect to win."
Neville wrapped his arms around Luna from behind as she peeked into the bower. "And, never underestimate the man who designed the battlefield. He might be a little sneaky,"
Neville kissed the top of Luna's head and turned her in his arms. "Stay with me tonight. I'll sleep on the couch and you can have my bed."
Luna dropped her head into his chest. "I should go home, Nev. It is sweet of you to offer, but…"
"Please," Neville put a finger under her chin and lifted her eye to his. "I want you to stay. The roads are terrible. I want to spend time with you away from the store and there is a fire already going in my fireplace."
"When you put it that way." Luna stretched up onto her toes and kissed his cheek. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to spend the night. I don't think we will have customers tomorrow anyway."
Neville smiled as Luna ducked out of his grip and headed back into the store. 'Let's get this place locked up. I have a sudden urge for hot chocolate by firelight."
"As you wish, Moonbeam."
Neville: We're in
Harry: We?
Theo: Nev?
Ron: In where?
Neville: Luna is staying at my place tonight
Theo: Really?
Ron: Nev!
Harry: This is an interesting turn of events
Neville: The roads were too bad to take her home
Ron: Sure they were
Theo: Go Nev
Harry: Guys, leave the lovebirds along
Neville: I'm turning off my mobile
Harry: Night
Theo: Sleep well
Ron: Stay warm