Birthdays

Golden rays shone through Hermione’s window early morning on an autumn day. She flipped on her side to have her night table come into view. Her wand glistened from the sunshine as did the book of ‘Hogwarts, A History’ she had been reading earlier that week. Her bushy hair, tied back into a ponytail last night, had managed to break free and was now spread across her pillow in an untidy fashion. She sighed and lifted her upper body from the bed mattress and stretched her arm muscles awake. Lavender and Parvati and just awaken after Hermione stepped out of bed and headed towards the washrooms to clean up.

With her robes on, hair washed, teeth brushed, Hermione set off down to the Great Hall were it was likely Harry and Ron were waiting for her at the Gryffindor table eating breakfast. She smiled as she walked through the wooden doors to her seat at the table on the far side of the hall where Ron and Harry greeted her.

“Hey Hermione,” Ron’s stuffed mouth managed to mumble. Harry, beside Ron, smiled at her as she reached for some Toast.

“So what are we doing today?” Harry asked as he took a sip out of his goblet. Hermione shrugged and began smoothing the jam around the area of the toast.

Harry and Ron looked at each other and smirked.

“Hermione,” Ron began, “don’t pretend to think we don’t know. We’ve known you for… how long has it been now Harry?” He turned towards his best friend and pretended to calculate the time it’s been since the three of them met that first year they boarded the Hogwarts Express. “6 years has it been?”

Harry nodded and shoved a piece of his sausage into his mouth. “6 years.”

“6 years, blimey that’s been a while!” Ron laughed as he shovelled more food down his throat. “You’d think after all that time we wouldn’t even consider that in fact today, September the 19th, today Hermione turns 17!”

“Oh hush up you two!” Hermione shushed them. “You’re causing commotion and havoc.” The room did not even stir.

“Come on Hermione, It’s your birthday! You’re 17; do you know what that means?” Harry questioned.

“I know!” She grinned, her shoulders perking up. “I get to take the Apparition test this year, I’m finally old enough.”

Ron and Harry frowned. “Not that Hermione, you’ve now come of age.”

“Oh, right.” Realisation hit Hermione. “That’s true.”

“Merlin’s beard, you’re excited!” Ron said sarcastically.

“I am!” She protested. “I’m seventeen. I’m seventeen.” Her smile grew wider. “I’m seventeen!”

“Okay, we get it Hermione, you’re seventeen.” Harry joked.

“Alright, well… carry on.” She went back to her breakfast and so did Ron and Harry.

“Happy birthday,” Harry said as he pushed a wrapped package towards Hermione’s breakfast plate.

“Yeah, happy birthday Hermione,” Ron repeated the same action with yet another gift, wrapped slightly less pretty than the one Harry gave.

Hermione’s eye moved to the side where the box presents lay on the wooden table. She dropped her fork on her plate and turned to Ron and Harry, her face showing no emotion what so ever. She took one glance back at the presents and then fixed her gaze at the two boys in front of her. In a matter of a second later her arms were wrapped around the two, squishing them to death. Ron’s mouth had caught a mouthful of Hermione’s hair and his hand moved up to remove it. Harry had the left side of his face forced into Ron’s back by forced of Hermione’s grasp.

“Hold your hippogriffs,” Ron muttered into her hair. “I can’t breath.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Hermione immediately let go of the two and turned back to her plate.

“Well,” Harry began, “Aren’t you going to open them?”

“I don’t know… you two really shouldn’t have! I mean, I’m only turning seventeen what’s the big deal? It’s not like…”

“Hermione, stop crying over spilt potion and open the gifts already.” Ron said.

“Alright,” She mumbled and clutched the blue one first.

She took a peak at the tag attached to the ribbon wrapped around the six faced shape and noticed who the gift was from.

“Thank you Harry.”

You haven’t even opened it yet.” He noted and Ron muffled a laugh.

She ripped the wrappings slowly as if they were some very valuable paper. She reached the dull brown box and opened it. Her fingers plunged inside and pulled out two different books. The first one was titled ‘Knitting for Witches and Wizards’. She smiled and hugged the book to her chest. “I’ve wanted to knit for so long now, how’d you know?”

“You mentioned it in Diagon Alley.” Harry smiled; please she liked the first gift.

“Oh, that’s right.” She smiled and went back to the scene in front of her.

The second book she had pulled out of the box did not look at all like any book she’d find in Hogwarts or even in the Magical world. The cover had a picture of a girl, standing quite still, lying in her bed. Her face was covered with facial cream and two cucumbers placed on each of her eyes. Her cat, rubbing his nose, lay beside her in her relaxed state. The book was titled ‘Startled by His Furry Shorts’ by what appeared to be a Muggle author.

“Harry! How’d you get a book like this? Didn’t you have to enter a Muggle shop, and have Muggle money?” Hermione questioned as she gazed at the back cover, beginning to read the synopsis.

“I had some help from your parents.” He informed her. “I wasn’t sure what would interest you most. You seemed to be quite pleased with the books here at Hogwarts and I wasn’t even going to think about entering a Muggle shop, but I started thinking what book you’d want to read and thought it was most likely you had read all of them. I had no other choice and but to look elsewhere. It seemed… okay. I had to ask one of the workers there if it would suit someone like you. She said she had read it and thought it was hilarious so…”

“Harry its perfect! This is the first Muggle book in this genre I’ve ever read. Thank you Harry!” She jumped out of her seat and hugged him.

“Alright, it’s Ron’s turn.” Harry announced, practically begging for Hermione to let him go from her death grip.

“Alright,” She happily flopped down where she previously was and returned her gaze to the table. His gift was missing. “What? It was right here a second ago…”

“Yeah, I’ve changed my mind. I’d like to give it to you later…” Ron admitted.

“Oh, alright,” She was taken back a little. “Almost time for class,” she changed the subject, “I think we better get going.” She grabbed her books and finished off the rest of her drink.

-

While in Potions, Hermione had been jotting down tonight’s homework which was to research Everlasting Elixirs. In the meantime Ron had passed her a note. She glanced over at him and he urged her on the read it.

Meet me outside of Hogwarts, near the North Tower, tonight.

The note burst into small but visible flames as Hermione glanced at Ron. He had his face buried in his potion making book so she turned away and continued with the class lesson.

8 o’clock had arrived and Hermione thought she had given Ron long enough for whatever he wanted her for at this time of night. She sat up from her bed and grabbed her wand for a source of light as she would need it once she’s outside. Her feet drifted across her dormitory as they carried her through the Gryffindor common room. She quietly sneaked out passed her fellow classmates and into the hallway where she’d have to travel seven floors down to get to Ron.

By the time she reached outside the castle she traveled around it searching for the North Tower. She had found it instantly and her eyes traveled from the Tower over to, about 50 or so feet away from her, Ron. He had set up behind him a burnt orange coloured tent, held up with what looked like a couple of poles, but knew he had most likely casted a spell to keep it from falling.

She rushed over to him, a sort of excitement boiling up in her stomach. She had never done anything so… rebellious. “Wow, Ron…”

“I know you’ll probably want me to pack up right now, saying this isn’t obeying school rules, we’re not allowed doing this…”

“No, Ron,” she interrupted, “I think this’ll be fun! Like a campout, I haven’t ever gone camping.” Her smiled grew wider and wider at the thought of camping. “Where’s Harry?”

“Uh,” He stammered, “he didn’t want to come…”

“Oh well… It’s just you and me then.” She smiled and entered the tent, Ron following closely behind her. “By the way, how’d you get this?”

“Mum sent it earlier this week. I told her Harry, you and I wanted to go camping during the Hogsmead holiday.”

“Isn’t this the tent we used at the Quidditch World Cup?” Hermione asked, “It’s awfully familiar.”

“Yeah, this is it.” Ron appeared by her side, he had started a small fire hovering over a small spot in the middle of the tent.

“I feel so bad doing this.” Although she knew she’d get into trouble, her sentence sounded more thrilling than worried.

“You’re such a rebel Hermione.” Ron laughed, taking a bite out of a Licorice Wand. “Since it’s almost the end of the day, which means the end of your birthday,” Ron’s arm flew behind his back, “I wanted to give you your present before time runs out.” He handed her the same box as he had done so earlier that morning.

“Thank you Ron.” She smiled and began tearing at the wrappings. At the last tear, what was left in her hands was a blue velvet box. She slowly opened it, curiosity burning within her as to what his gift could have been and then she finally saw it. Vintage amber drop pendant in a light silver colour lay against the dark blue velvet of the box. Hermione gasped, and Ron’s stomach effervesced with anxiety. After what seemed like hours with no other reaction other than the gasp, Ron began to speak:

“If you don’t like it I can get you something else, I just thought it was exactly your style, and it was orange so it would match with your robes and…”

Ron was cut off. Hermione’s embrace had shocked him. His heart fluttering madly, her kiss was like nothing he’d ever known. She grabbed a hold of his hair knocking him down onto the hard surface of the tent floor. Feeling passion burn inside him, his hands traveled wildly across her spine and into her hair. He deepened the kiss and the two switched places, Hermione had now had her back against the tents floor. Ron found her mouth again and began to kiss her rowdily. Moans escaped Hermione’s lips as Ron’s hand traveled across her stomach. His hand slipping lower…

“Mr. Weasley!” A shrill high voice ran through the tent. “Ms. Ganger? What is this?!”

Mrs. McGonagall had appeared at the hood of the tent, her glare at the two of them sent pure shivers of horror down their spines. “I advise you two to return to your dormitories, AT ONCE!” Ron cowered at her rage, and Hermione silently exited the tent, Ron closely behind her. “I am sending this tent back to your mother and informing her of your late night… duties. Same goes for you Ms. Granger. Goodnight to you both.” She turned away and stormed off.

“Bloody hell,” Ron mumbled, “Well… happy birthday Hermione.”