Harry couldn't be sure, but he thought he was on his fourth slice of cake. The bakery was amazing and he grabbed treats there whenever he could, but somehow birthday cake tasted that much sweeter. He didn't care that he would probably be sick before long or that getting sick on birthday cake was probably a little childish for an 18 year old and sort of savior of the world. It was a simple joy but one he was going to indulge in for as long as he could.
He sat back at a table, letting his stomach settle a little and prepare for the inevitable fifth slice as he looked around. Maybe he didn't have the most friends on the island, but he wouldn't trade the ones he had for anything in the world. He was happy just were he was.
I didn't have a present for Harry and I kind of felt shitty about that but it was hard to feel bad when there was a cake and a party going on. Working on my second slice of cake myself, I swung around to the birthday boy's table to wish him the best.
"Eighteen, huh? That's a great year. Legal for almost anything now."
Harry grinned happily when Molly appeared. He didn't think even once about whether or not she had a present for him. On the island, he appreciated having wizards, even if they all qualified as former wizards, around him. Regardless of the differences between their worlds, Harry felt a little more at home when she was about.
"Back home it's 17. Well, with wizards," he said. "Not that it mattered when I was getting into trouble at 12. I'm just happy to have made it this far, honestly."
"See, this is why I need to apply for a wizard's transfer," I said dryly, still grinning at him. "I apparently still have to follow regular laws and everything. When I was seventeen, I was getting hauled in front of the Council for rule infractions."
If there was anything to keep Billy's mind off all the madness going on and his inability to do anything or help anyone (never mind that, at some level, he's glad he didn't get stuck in Rapture), a birthday party for Harry did the trick.
He'd almost come empty handed, always bad at things like gift giving without his magic at hand, but he thought the gift he'd picked up only hours before was decent enough. And if it wasn't, he knew Harry would at least get as much a laugh out of it as Billy had.
Second slice of cake in hand, Billy grabbed a seat at the table when he saw Harry, and slid a book toward him. "Happy birthday."
He gave Harry a grin, and took a large bite of cake.
Mouth full of cake, Harry turned to attempt a greeting for Billy. He got derailed by the present and grabbed at it first as he chewed. It took two seconds to read the title and one to thwap Billy on the shoulder with the book. "Wise ass," he muttered around the cake, but there was a smile there, too, and genuine amusement in those green eyes.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Harry asked once he had swallowed.
"Learn from it," Billy suggested, and he picked at the little red scarf, flipping it back and forth a few times. He couldn't help a laugh. "Learn some magic tricks. Maybe they let you upgrade to a wand with the next book."
"I have a wand," Harry pointed out. "Clearly I'm too advanced for this. You can have it though." He set the book on the table between them, pushed it closer to Billy and patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, you know. Not all of us can be great wizards. Maybe you should just stick with baby steps. I'm sure Tony'll be impressed."
"Happy birthday, Harry," says Luna. She's wearing bright, bright blue, and it appears she's brought him a gift: a wiggling sea anemone in a jar of salt water, still slightly wet on the outside. There's also a Draco lurking nearby, and she remembers to tell him later that the anemone has a chance of being poisonous.
"Oh dear," she says aloud. "I should probably tell you that some of these are poisonous. Wear gloves when you touch it."
"Err..." Harry had long ago stopped trying to impose a standard kind of sense to Luna's doings, so he tried to see the twisting, slug-like creature in the jar as any kind of thoughtful gift and appreciate it as that.
"Thanks," he said, setting the jar down a safe distance away from his cake. "I'll remember that. You're supposed to touch it?"
"Oh, daily," Luna says, smiling happily. "They rather like massage." This of course runs counter to the complete lack of massage therapies mentioned in books about marine life. It's more of a discovered strategy.
In its jar, the anemone waves around as if in agreement.
Although she'd spent the first fifteen minutes of the party running about and worrying over whether or not Harry would enjoy the festivities, a bit of cake and ice cream had finally found Hermione relaxing as the party continued to progress smoothly, most invitees keeping themselves entertained as a fairly decent playlist aired in the background. She kept her distance for the most part at first, letting everyone say their happy birthdays to Harry, knowing that she'd have plenty of time to offer her own later, after he'd had a breather. But it was the sight of him grabbing yet another slice of cake that had Hermione speaking up prematurely, clearing her throat as she rounded and beamed at him, allowing the cake a bit of a skeptical look
( ... )
Much as Hermione let Harry enjoy himself and work through the first onslaught of well-wishers, Harry let Hermione worry herself and fuss over things until she was satisfied. He knew it wouldn't be worth of the effort of trying to make her enjoy the party herself until she was ready to. He hadn't expected her to be ready just as he has been trying to grab another piece of cake though.
Subtly, Harry pulled the cake away and tried to make it as unnoticeable as possible as he returned the hug. "Thanks, Hermione," he said, grinning as he pulled back.
There was a kind comment on the tip of his tongue, reassuring her that he was sure the chocolate tasted delicious (even though he was sure it wouldn't), when she pushed the book forward. His words caught in his throat and refused to budge. He knew Hermione was only trying to be kind, but he really didn't think any book would have any advice that would help him with his current situation. "Thanks," Harry said again, more quietly this time. "We'll see what good it is for real now."
Hermione knew that she had likely stepped a bit far. In a way, the gesture had been meant to gauge where Harry was, exactly, in thinking about the two girls who vied (although not necessarily consciously) for his attention. As much as Hermione knew that Harry cared for both Kate and Ginny, there was only so much that one could observe from a distance, and trying to spend too much time around Harry when he was with either girl seemed far too intrusive for Hermione's tastes. All she knew was that romantic interest was sometimes a flighty thing, that Harry had once been so enamored with Cho, that he'd still perked up at the thought of girls chasing after him all the way through sixth year. And the hint of desperation that war afforded wasn't precisely something Hermione wanted to judge by
( ... )
"Happy birthday, Harry. Sorry it's not as good as seventeen," Ron said, once he finally managed a moment on his own with Harry. There was nothing like getting the Trace off or getting a watch with eighteen. Though, maybe it was good that everything was a bit ordinary; sometimes it was still weird, but a good sort of weird.
Ron sunk down into the chair next to Harry and set an oddly-wrapped package in front of him, as well as a book wrapped in newsprint. He'd spent ages going through it and adding his own annotations in the margins when he had the chance, all of them subtle digs at Lockhart and load of tripe that was the whole work.
"Don't let Hermione see that one," he said, of the book, "Or Ginny."
Harry's face lit up when he saw his best friend approach him bearing packages. Ron may never have had the most money back home, but he always managed to get Harry presents that, at the very least, he enjoyed. He ripped open the first package, still grinning hugely at what he found, even though he had no idea that Hogwarts made jumpers like that or when he would wear it in the heat. He threw it over his shoulder and ripped into the second package with a little more caution.
"Er... thanks," Harry said, confused when he saw Lockhart's frozen, perfect smile on the cover. "I think?"
He sat back at a table, letting his stomach settle a little and prepare for the inevitable fifth slice as he looked around. Maybe he didn't have the most friends on the island, but he wouldn't trade the ones he had for anything in the world. He was happy just were he was.
Reply
"Eighteen, huh? That's a great year. Legal for almost anything now."
Reply
"Back home it's 17. Well, with wizards," he said. "Not that it mattered when I was getting into trouble at 12. I'm just happy to have made it this far, honestly."
Reply
Not exactly a place I ever wanted to be again.
"So. Any big plans for this momentous occasion?"
Reply
He'd almost come empty handed, always bad at things like gift giving without his magic at hand, but he thought the gift he'd picked up only hours before was decent enough. And if it wasn't, he knew Harry would at least get as much a laugh out of it as Billy had.
Second slice of cake in hand, Billy grabbed a seat at the table when he saw Harry, and slid a book toward him. "Happy birthday."
He gave Harry a grin, and took a large bite of cake.
Reply
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Harry asked once he had swallowed.
Reply
Reply
Reply
"Oh dear," she says aloud. "I should probably tell you that some of these are poisonous. Wear gloves when you touch it."
Reply
"Thanks," he said, setting the jar down a safe distance away from his cake. "I'll remember that. You're supposed to touch it?"
Reply
In its jar, the anemone waves around as if in agreement.
Reply
Reply
Subtly, Harry pulled the cake away and tried to make it as unnoticeable as possible as he returned the hug. "Thanks, Hermione," he said, grinning as he pulled back.
There was a kind comment on the tip of his tongue, reassuring her that he was sure the chocolate tasted delicious (even though he was sure it wouldn't), when she pushed the book forward. His words caught in his throat and refused to budge. He knew Hermione was only trying to be kind, but he really didn't think any book would have any advice that would help him with his current situation. "Thanks," Harry said again, more quietly this time. "We'll see what good it is for real now."
Reply
Reply
Ron sunk down into the chair next to Harry and set an oddly-wrapped package in front of him, as well as a book wrapped in newsprint. He'd spent ages going through it and adding his own annotations in the margins when he had the chance, all of them subtle digs at Lockhart and load of tripe that was the whole work.
"Don't let Hermione see that one," he said, of the book, "Or Ginny."
Reply
"Er... thanks," Harry said, confused when he saw Lockhart's frozen, perfect smile on the cover. "I think?"
Reply
Leave a comment