Chapter Text
All of my friends are pleased to know that my birthday this year is on a Sunday. I blush as I feel a lot of eyes on me when I’m in class on Friday. They tease me too much on Saturday, which I try to ignore. I saw that James and Marlene especially were getting certain weirdly shaped packages and they were often gone for really long periods of time. Whenever I wanted to do our routinely night time talks with Marlene, she always started giggling and told me I shouldn’t say anything or else she’d spoil the surprise. So I went to sleep on Saturday in a slightly irritable mood. But not to worry, of course, I always wake up on a happy note.
I wonder if being thirteen will be different than being twelve. Since when you’re thirteen, you’re officially a teenager. Will I start acting like one too, I wonder? Maybe I’ll have an emo phase or something like that. (Not that I’m complaining, emos are cool.)
I dream of my parents, my brother, Marlene and James… flying bananas… I dream that I’m riding a unicorn in Candyland but that’s interrupted when I’m jolted awake by Marlene. Just my luck…
“Happy birthday Yin!” All three of the girls say.
“Wh-What time is it?!” I almost scream.
“It might be one minute after midnight…” Marlene giggles.
“Ugh… you guys are too dedicated… Wait, I don’t want you to do a really big surprise or anything…”
“Well, we did invite the boys, but that’s about it. So get ready!”
“You what?!” I say, sitting up immediately.
“I checked and nothing bad happened, so it’s fine.” Mary says.
“Alright, guys… Go away, I’m gonna get changed.” I change into a pair of bootcut jeans and a white cropped shirt with stars on it.
When I get back to my bed, I’m greeted with a pleasant surprise. But still a surprise either way, my heart almost jumps out of my chest when I see the Marauders have entered our room too.
“Happy birthday Yin!” James says, approaching me first. I notice all of them are holding some kind of small package. It reminds me of when we were celebrating Remus’s birthday, and everyone brought a little sweet pack and we all had a large feast. I guess this is carrying on the tradition now.
Marlene shoves past and gives me her package first. “Open this!”
I open the package and I gasp. “Marlene… You didn’t have to!” It’s a really large bracelet making kit. What the heck? I’ve always wanted this!
“Are you secretly a telepath or something?” I laugh.
“I noticed you’re always fiddling with your bracelets and necklaces so I figured you’d like it. I also added some magical things to it, here…”
I can’t really focus on what she says as I feel a tear go down my face. I try and wipe it quickly, really nonchalantly, but no use.
After that, I open James’s present. It’s… a large A2 poster. It moves like a magical painting… and it’s just a giant portrait of James!!!
“I— What is this?!” I squeal.
“You don’t say much about what you like, so..” James shrugs. “Hope you like it.”
“Oh, I’m not complaining about this.” I smirk, clutching the poster to my chest.
It takes a long while for me to open the presents, but a lot of them are just sweets and other delicacies for the feast we’re about to have.
My smile drops for a second. “It’s just… I don’t normally celebrate my birthday. And to see you all putting in so much effort.. It makes me feel loved. I’ve never really felt like that.”
They nod in understanding. Marlene puts an arm around my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Yin. We’ll make you feel like this all the time!”
James pulls out many red objects which look like dynamite. Maybe my brain is a bit weird for thinking that. Maybe I play too much Minecraft. “And now… This time, it’ll work, I promise-”
“Well, for Remus’s birthday you spelled out ‘happy birthday REMU’ so…” I say.
“No, guys, just throw them out now, it will work this time—”
*BANG*
I cover my ears as the fireworks all topple down from the dorms, and watch as they form the sentence:
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY YIN” (with a smiley face on the side of course)