A/N: Hi! Welcome to a bunch of drabbles and stories for the Spring Funfair over at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (challenges & assignments) forum. There will be all kinds of pairings and characters, mainly Hermione, because she's my woman and she's driving the Levi-Kart on one of the challenges, and there will be a lot of prompts used. A lot. Because I need the points for Ravenclaw. I take my Birb Life seriously. They'll usually be listed at the bottom.

This has also been written for the following assignment:

Assignment 6 - Healer Studies - Task #1: Write about someone who has terrible luck.

Summary: Neville is having a really bad day until he meets his favourite person. Muggle!AU with a touch of Coffee Shop!AU. Neville/Luna pairing.

The Bad Days

Neville Longbottom had never been the luckiest of people. He had to work hard for what he wanted, sometimes it felt a lot harder than the people around him. And sometimes bad luck knew how to find him, day or night, without him actually leaving the house.

Then there were days that were so bad from the moment he woke up that Neville feared leaving his bed. Those days started with waking up late. Like this particular day.

Waking up suddenly, not sure why he'd woken up in a panic, Neville looked at his alarm clock, rubbing at one of his eyes as he tried to wake up properly. His stomach sank and it felt like his heart has missed a number of beats; he was nearly an hour late leaving his house.

It didn't get any better. There was no hot water for his shower, he forgot about his toast and burnt it, and then got his tie stuck in the front door as he shut it, nearly throttling himself in the process. He missed his bus, the driver ignoring him running by the door, banging on it, and went straight into a lamppost. That left a mark.

By the time he got to the building for his job interview to join their team of botanists, Neville had managed to break his belt, therefore had to keep hold of his trousers at all times thanks to his grandmother buying him the wrong size, and nearly got himself run over by a cyclist. He entered the lobby sweating, out of breath, red in the face, and already feeling dejected before the receptionists said, 'I'm sorry, Mr Longbottom. The interviews finished half an hour ago. They won't see you now.'

Of course.

This was his dream job with the dream company he'd been waiting patiently for a job opportunity to arise. It was all over thanks to an alarm clock. To think, his grandmother had scoffed when Neville had suggested he should stay in a nearby hotel and not bother with sleep. He should've listened to his gut.

'Okay,' Neville said, already walking over to the toilets.

Neville took his time freshening himself up, taking his tie off (now using it as a belt), opening the top buttons of his shirt to cool off, and splashed his face with cold water. Looking at his C.V. sitting on the side of the sink, all crumpled from clinging onto it on his way there, Neville sighed and dumped it in the bin before leaving the building.

Knowing that his favourite coffee shop was nearby, Neville started walking to it rather than go home, his shoulders slumped so low his briefcase was nearly trailing on the floor. A drop of water landed on his cheek. Then another. He looked up and the cloud burst.

'Fantastic,' he muttered. He didn't bother running as the downpour soaked him in seconds, his feet squeaking in his shoes. At least he wasn't sweating anymore.

When he arrived at the coffee shop, with its midnight blue door and gold lettered name on the glass pane, Neville felt his spirits lift ever so slightly at seeing his favourite barista at the till; Luna. A crack of lightning lit up the sky signalling it was time to stop dawdling in the rain and seek cover.

It was busier than it usually would be for the time of day, but, like himself, people automatically started getting indoors after the first lightning strike. Another one lit up the coffee shop for a split second as Neville joined the small queue, followed by thunder a few seconds later.

His heart lifted when Luna gave him a bright smile after she spotted him. She looked practically radiant, with her blonde hair in a messy plait over her shoulder, and her make-up such a vibrant contrast against her black uniform. Between each customer she would hold on to her little raven amulet for a moment, with it hanging from a thin piece of rope around her neck, and then continue. Neville smiled at the little movement; it was just so … Luna.

'Hi, Luna,' he mumbled when it was his turn to be served. Now that he was in front of her, he could barely hold her eye contact. Instead, he settled for looking at some of the chocolate bars by the till.

'Oh, Neville, did you forget your umbrella again?' she asked in her familiar singsong voice.

'It's fine,' he said. It wasn't really. The air conditioning in the coffee shop was starting to make him shiver. 'It's just one of those days. Something always goes wrong.'

'That bad?' she asked.

He forced himself to meet her gaze, her lovely, lovely gaze with her deliciously silvery eyes. 'I didn't get the job I wanted today. Just feeling a bit sorry for myself.'

Luna gave him a genuinely sympathetic look. 'Are you having your usual?'

'Please.' He started pulling out his wallet, careful not to lose his trousers with the precariously tied piece of material holding them up threatening to come loose.

'It's fine, Neville. Go sit down.' She pointed to a free table. 'I'll bring it over.'

Neville frowned, holding his wallet out like she was meant to help herself to the money. She shook her head again. 'Consider it something going right in your day.' She reached over and pushed his hand back with a smile.

He felt like he was floating as he went to the table she'd pointed to, his hand still holding his wallet and now tingling where she'd touched him. When he finally got a hold of his senses, Neville had a germ of an idea. It wouldn't leave him alone. He was going to do it. Today was the day. Luna had changed his luck by her one small act of kindness. Yes, he would ask. Even if it didn't go his way, Neville had already had the worst happen anyway.

Luna brought his flat white to him with another bright smile and a little biscotti on the saucer his cup was sitting on. 'Luna,' he said quickly, his voice cracking slightly. She stopped moving away and gave him an expectant look. 'Would you go on a date with me? Maybe? Lunch or something?' Why couldn't he stop talking. 'Or not. If you don't want to. I'll under—'

'Neville,' she interrupted in a firm voice, still smiling. 'I thought you'd never ask.' She put a hand on his shoulder. 'How about when I finish my shift in an hour we go for something to eat?'

'Really? I mean – fantastic!'

She squeezed his shoulder before going back to her job. Neville sat up taller, smiling to himself. Luna had said yes. He'd never had a bad day have a turnaround like this. He felt like he could do anything with the happiness that rushed through him.

All because Luna had said yes.

Funfair

- Milkshake Bar - Flavour 10. (character) Neville Longbottom

- Cherry Blossoms - 14. (weather) Torrential Downpour

- Paint a Rainbow - Orange 1. Luna Lovegood

- Birdhouse Building - Step 1 - (genre) Romance

March Writing Club

- Record Collection - 15. Write about someone missing out on something

- Elizabeth's Empire - 2. (dialogue) 'Something always goes wrong.'

- Liza's Loves - 20. (plot point) Having a crush

- Scamander's Case - 25. (colour) Gold

- Marvel Appreciation - 12. Write about lightning

- The Forecast Says... 8th: Bright

- EnTitled - 10. (object) Amulet

- Hobby Hole - 19. (genre) Romance

Spring Seasonal

- Days of the Year & Religious Events - 7th April - Write about someone shy making the first move

- Crayon Day - 15. Midnight blue

- Children's Book Day - 14. (word) Fantastic

Yearly

- 365 - 189. (character) Neville Longbottom

- Fantastic Beasts - 124. (scenario) Write about someone having bad luck

- Scavenger Hunt - 16. Write a story with the genre romance

Spring Quarterly

46. (action) Asking someone on a date

Word Count: 1,165