That Cure To All Life's Woes

The moon wore a headscarf of cloud that night. The stars were faintly twinkling behind the mist. And in the house at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, Neville Longbottom lay awake. Midnight was but a distant memory and still he tossed and turned on the old, moth-eaten mattress with creaky springs. He heard the soft sounds of bare feet padding along the carpet beyond his door. A lock somewhere below him clicked open. He heard the door whispering along the rug as it opened the shut and the humming as the electrical lights switched on.

Silently, he slowly folded the covers over themselves, wincing every time the springs creaked. He slid his legs carefully out of the bed, stood up and picked his way across the floor, avoiding all the planks that squeaked. He removed his dressing gown from the coat hook by the door and wrapped it tightly around himself, tying the cord as tight as it would go without being uncomfortable. Wearing warm clothes like dressing gowns tied tightly was the best way to keep warm in the huge, draughty house. He waved his wand at the door that locked from the outside and stealthily pushed it open, inch by inch, listening for any sound before beginning to creep down the stairs.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked an unseen voice, making Luna jump and drop the carton she'd been holding. It rolled across the floor and was stopped by the leg of a chair. The chair was occupied.

"Ginny, I didn't notice you!" Luna gasped, hand on her pounding heart. "Let me get that," she added, seeing her heavily-pregnant friend instinctively make a move to pick up the carton. "You could injure yourself." Ginny watched Luna bend quickly down and lift the carton with a disgruntled look in her eyes.

"I'm so jealous," she remarked as Luna pulled up a chair beside her. "I miss the days of being able to bend down and pick up heavy things without a second thought or an overprotective baby daddy hastening to stop me."

"What did your mum say when she found out you were pregnant out of wedlock?" Luna asked, popping the lid of the carton off and reaching for a spoon.

"She disapproves, I know, but she did the same thing," Ginny said, grinning. "I'm only following her example. You should've heard Aunt Muriel thought." Her expression became a disgusted grimace. "'Dishonouring the family name', 'bastard child', 'the behaviour of a slut'. The plans for the wedding were full steam ahead before this fortunate complication." She patted her belly. "We're getting married once I have my strength back."

"Will baby Potter be attending?" Luna asked, dipping her spoon into the carton.

"Of course," Ginny replied. "Anyway, what are you doing down here at this ungodly hour?"

"Drowning my sorrows in chocolate ice cream," Luna said miserably, licking the chunk of frozen dessert on her spoon.

"What sorrows?" Ginny asked bluntly. "You have no sorrows."

"All my friends are happy in love and I'm not," Luna said. "I'd say I've got plenty to be sorrowful about. And do you really think three in the morning is the appropriate time to be discussing this?"

"Yes, because it's important," Ginny said, laying a hand on her friend's arm. "Will you share?" She indicated the ice cream. Luna nodded mutely and offered Ginny a spoon. "What about Neville?" Ginny asked after several minutes of silence watching the ice cream melt.

"Oh, please, it's as plain as your baby bump that Hannah has a planet-sized crush on him," Luna said, licking her spoon. "I'm doomed to a life of spinsterhood with only a couple of cats as company." Ginny rapped her on the hand with the ice-cream coated spoon.

"Don't exaggerate," she scolded.

"Yes, Mum," Luna replied, grinning. Ginny's face softened.

"'Mum'…methinks I like that word," she said, helping herself to more ice-cream.

"Good, you better get used to being called it," Luna said. Impulsively, she stretched across the gap between them and Ginny's baby bump and hugged her. "Thanks, Ginny." Ginny smiled with watery eyes and made a vague motion with her spoon towards the carton.

"Sorry to interrupt your little sisterly moment, but may I ask why you are both awake at this hour?" asked a voice in the doorway. Both looked up and saw Neville and Harry standing there. How long had they been watching?

"Drowning my sorrow in chocolate ice-cream," Luna replied, taking another spoonful to illustrate her point.

"Little Baby Potter is kicking me so hard I can't sleep," Ginny said. Harry came over, pulled up his fiancé's baggy T-shirt and kissed the bump. He straightened up a moment later with a proud look on his face.

"Kicked me straight in the mouth, did you see that!" he shouted. "My son will be a Beater for sure!" Ginny elbowed him fondly in the ribs.

"We might be having a girl," she reminded him.

"Either way, I'll love our baby just the same," Harry said. Luna noticed how his voice softened when he said 'our'. Ginny must've noticed too because she pulled him down for a kiss. Unable to watch any more of the adorable and ultimately depressing display Luna turned to Neville, still standing in the doorway.

"Well, don't be shy," she said, pointing to the chair next to her. "Pull up a chair and join the party." She summoned another spoon from the drawer and held it out. Neville took it and sat down next to her, but didn't take any ice-cream.

"I thought you might like this," he said softly. Luna looked down and saw a chocolate frog in his large hand. "You still collect the cards, right?" Luna nodded and took the proffered packet, unwrapping the sweet. He'd remembered.

"Are you considering marriage, Neville?" she asked, saying a silent apology to it before biting off the frog's head. "After all, Ron and Hermione are married and Ginny and Harry will soon be the same with a baby."

"I don't know," Neville said. "There's a girl who's exactly right for me and I'm considering asking her, but I don't know if she'll accept." Luna's hopes dropped again. If Neville knew her at all he'd be certain that she'd accept in a heartbeat. She needed something stronger for her sorrows now.

"Want a drink?" she asked, getting up and taking the bottle of Ogden's finest from the counter. Neville nodded and Luna poured two glasses. "Cheers." Neville smiled and clinked his glass against hers. Both drank and for the second time there was a few minutes of silence.

"Luna, I'd like to run my practiced proposal by you, to see if you think she'll accept," Neville said . "Would that be alright?"

"Yes, of course," Luna said. Maybe she could pretend for a few seconds that he was asking her, not practising for Hannah. Neville cleared his throat and got down on one knee. Luna laughed. "No need for the formalities."

"I should practise the movements too," Neville said. "Darling, I haven't known you as a person for very long, but what I do know is that I feel absolutely perfect when I'm around you. You're like the second half of my heart, you fill the aching void left by the loss of my parents and you're like a puzzle piece perfectly made to match mine. I love you, so much." He laid his hand on mine. She braced herself for the shattering of her fantasy as his hand moved to his chest pocket. "So I feel there's only one more question that must be asked, one more answer that must be heard." He held up a old-fashioned ring, set with pearls instead of diamonds but no less beautiful for it. "Will you marry me…" she closed her eyes to prevent tears "…Luna Lovegood?"

She couldn't tell if the gasp of shock came from her or the other couple. Tears were filling her eyes as she realised that this was real, that Neville was kneeling in front of her asking her to marry him. It wasn't Hannah after all, it was her. It had always been her. Neville got up and laid the ring on the table by her hand.

"So, do you think it was sufficient for her to accept?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes. She knew that this answer was important, possibly the most important she would ever say in her life. She also knew exactly what she was going to say.

"Yes, I think she will accept," she said, tears spilling down her face. "I think I will accept, Neville. I love you." Neville slid the ring slowly onto her finger and gently kissed her. Harry started applauding.

"'Bout time too!" he exclaimed. "More ice-cream, anyone?"

Phew! I may have got a little carried away with this! Anyway, this was for the Three AM Challenge by Macceh. The prompts I used were a chocolate frog and the kitchen table. I hope Macceh herself and all of you enjoyed it!