Neville keeps finding reasons to stop at The Bishop's Brew when Luna is working. Can they survive the teasing that happens when everyone else notices

Song: Find A Way by Quiet Arrows

Luna sat in her car waiting for the courage to go inside. Tonight, Ginny was not going to be there as a buffer and she wanted to talk to Neville. Last week, she had wandered over to the chess tables with Ginny when she had taken Harry his coffee. That had given her a chance to say hi to Neville without it seeming weird.

Recently he had been coming in on the days she worked. He would get a chocolate smoothie and a muffin to enjoy while he sat in the back corner reading on his phone. She still hadn't asked him what he was reading, but he did actually come up the counter and order.

According to Sam, Neville only ordered at the counter when she was working. The rest of the time, he used the mobile app and didn't hang around to eat his muffin. She would have to ask him about that later. Right now, she needed to go inside.

She had always enjoyed watching people. That's why she like working at The Bishop's Brew so much. She got to spend her time watching people and making them happy with coffee. The person she had watched the most lately was Neville. Most people thought he was antisocial, but Luna knew better. He was just painfully shy and thoughtful. How did he manage to run a greenhouse if he could not talk to people without turning bright red?

Neville: Hi
Luna: Hi
Neville: Are you working tonight?
Luna: No. I'm meeting Hermione and Daphne to have coffee and write
Neville: At BB?
Luna: Yes. Are you coming to play chess?
Neville: Yes
Luna: I'll see you there
Neville: Okay

Neville's heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest. Talking to her made him feel like he could take on the world. She never asked him to say more than he needed and he had never meet anyone who enjoyed sitting quietly like he did. It was not that he didn't have things to say, he just saved his words for when they were really important.

When he was younger, he had stuttered. This made his Gran worry, so she took him to specialist to see what she needed to do. The specialist figured out the he had plenty to say, it was just that his brain would get ahead of his mouth and things would tumble together causing him to get stuck on a letter or two. Being shy didn't help matters either.

So he learned to think carefully about what he had to say before he said it. It made him a man of few words. His friends understood and let him be quiet. He had learned to speak out more after he had taken over the greenhouse from Gran. He loved working with the plants and he wanted to make the world a more beautiful place. It helped to have his friends as customers, but over the years he had learned how to deal with customers that weren't his friends. He could be a man of few words and make a difference, couldn't he?

Harry: Do you guys have a table yet?
Ron: We have the usual
Theo: Ready to lose Potter?
Harry: Only if I let you win Nott
Neville: Hermione and Daphne are here
Ron: Yeah. Mione asked where we are going for food after coffee
Harry: Do you think we can leave before closing tonight?
Ron: Gin want you home before midnight?
Harry: No, I want to be home before midnight and I promised her food and coffee
Neville: What about that Mexican place?
Ron: Mexican?
Theo: I haven't been there in a while
Neville: Luna says the ACP is really good
Harry: How do you know this?
Theo: You talk to Luna?
Ron: You talked to a girl?
Harry: Guys … leave Nev alone
Neville: She is nice and she recommended it the other day when I was in here
Harry: You drink coffee?
Neville: No
Ron: Did they start making your drink before you got to the counter to order Nev?
Neville: Why do you ask?
Theo: They only do that if you order the same thing every time … and you come in A LOT
Neville: I might stop by on my way home from work
Harry: Interesting
Ron: I think Nev is developing a taste…for smoothies
Theo: Or the barista that makes them…

Neville looked up as the door to The Bishop's Brew opened. Luna was carrying her computer bag and looking for the girls. He should go over and talk to her. He could lead her to where Hermione was at the back of the room. Just as he started to stand, Luna noticed Daphne at the counter and started towards her.

"Missed your chance, mate," Harry whispered across the chess board.

"I'll talk to her later." Neville picked up his knight and captured Harry's dark square bishop. "You might want to pay attention to the game before you lose your queen. She is not going to walk in the door."

"My queen is at home and not happy with me," Harry replied as he took Neville's other knight with his rook. "You might need to watch where you are putting things. WHO has your attention, Nev?"

"She is nice." Neville watched Luna move to the back of the room with Daphne. "She likes the quiet. She never asks me to talk."

"So, ask her to enjoy some quiet with you." Harry put his hand on Neville's shoulder as he stood up to get his coffee order. "Luna is a sweet girl. What can it hurt?"

Neville stared at the chessboard and thought about what Harry had said. Well, maybe if he sent her a text it would be easier.

Neville: Hi
Luna: Hi
Neville: I saw you come in
Luna: Are you at the front tables?
Neville: Yeah. Playing a game with Harry
Luna: How is he?
Neville: Worried
Luna: I wish I didn't have to work Wednesday
Neville: I am closing the shop so I can be there
Luna: Come by before you go and I will make stuff for you to take to him
Neville: Thanks
Luna: How is chess tonight?
Neville: Not bad
Luna: I think I am going to leave early tonight
Neville: Why?
Luna: I have to open tomorrow. The price I pay to have tonight off
Neville: We have been talking about going to El Pozo after chess
Luna: They close at 11
Neville: We were talking about calling it an early night tonight
Luna: Why?
Neville: Harry wants to get back to Gin
Luna: I think that's a good plan
Neville: Would you like to ride with me? I can bring you back to your car after we eat
Luna: I would like that
Neville: Okay
Luna: Thank you
Neville: For what?
Luna: Asking

Luna set her phone on the table carefully. She could not stop the smile that spread across her face.

Hermione watched her carefully. "Who were you talking to just now?"

"Nobody. I was just checking on some things. Why?" Luna asked suspiciously.

"Because we have not seen you smile like that in a long time," Daphne answered. "I, for one, would like to know who can make you smile like that."

"Me, too," Hermione chimed in. "I have not seen you smile like that since you lost your dad."

"I was talking to a friend and that is all you need to know," Luna stood up to pick up her order at the counter. "He is thoughtful and sweet and he makes me want to smile."

"By the way, the guys want to go to El Pozo if we can leave early enough," Luna threw the comment over her shoulder as she walked away from the table. "Neville says Harry is worried about Gin and wants to get home early tonight."

Hermione and Daphne looked at each other before they turned to watch Luna walk to the counter. "Neville says?!"