Ever since he had started his relationship with Evelyn, Severus had become used to get a nice birthday cake every year... Now, eleven years later, he could look back and say, for certain, he had never gotten a birthday cake quite as special as this. He wondered what had gotten into his wife to actually allow their five-year-old to mess around with her icing bags, but the end result was positively...interesting.
Sitting in front of him was a birthday cake decorated in what he could only define as, most likely a post-modern style... At least he hopped there was a cake somewhere under the mountains of green, purple and yellow frosting, and multicoloured sprinkles in various sizes and shapes, with a candle precariously sitting atop of it like a little a dizzy climber atop the Everest. Evelyn sat besides him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek, as Soren, sitting by his other side looked up at them.
"Soren decorated it all by himself..." She told him, a pinkish hue of motherly pride colouring her voice
"I can see that" He chuckled, and looked down at his son "And it´s most certainly the most...incredible cake I´ve ever seen"
Soren´s smile grew wider and looked over to his mother
"I told you he was gonna like it!"
"Well, Lyn it is a fantastic cake...Just look at it...it...defies the laws of physics, almost"
"Sev!" She playfully slapped his arm
"I don´t even know how we are going to cut this...I mean it´s a work of art..."
"I know! It´s fauviste!" She smirked as they both looked down at a severely puzzled Soren.
"It´s a cake, mum..."
Severus laughed whole-heartedly, and messed up Soren´s black hair.
"Indeed, son. A brilliant one."
"But seriously, I have no idea how we´re going to cut that thing..." Lyn whispered jokingly on his ear, before standing up to light the candle, shooing away Soren´s little hand, too busy poking holes in the frosting
Soren stood on his chair and started to clap energetically, followed by his mother and, a little more hesitantly, his father. There was something so fundamentally ridiculous and satisfying about the three of them singing "Happy Birthday to You" in the middle of the nightly silence of their dining room. Severus couldn´t remember going through that little silly ritual during his own childhood, but ever since Soren had learned to clap and started mumble his first words, "Happy birthday to you" was a required number to be religiously performed at least three times a year (four, counting the birthday Soren had completely made up for the cat). Five years ago Severus wouldn´t have been caught dead indulging in such a thing, but now it was so much a part of the family´s birthday rituals, he would certainly miss it once Soren became too big for this kind of thing.
"Blow the candle dad!" the boy squealed, dangerously tottering on his chair. Severus pulled Soren onto his lap and blew out the candle, as he clapped vivaciously. "Now me!"
"Okay, okay..." He pulled out his wand from his pocket and lit up the candle again. Without minding much his own safety or his father´s comfort, Soren awkwardly leaned forwards and blew the candle again, under the encouraging applause of his parents.
"Now, before we cut the cake, Soren still has one more gift for you" Evelyn told him gleefully.
"Another one?! You two just gave me so many as it is. What is is it, Son?" Soren, shifted uneasily on his lap.
"It´s a surprise, isn´t it?" Evelyn encouraged, but Soren was suddenly quiet.
"But, mum..."
"C´mon, sweetheart. You worked so much on it...It´s going to be lovely, I just know it." She ran a gentle hand through his messed hair and kissed the top of his head.
The boy begrudgingly left his father´s arms and sat on his chair, looking very serious. Severus could almost detect a hint of fear and apprehension in the way he frowned. Evelyn went into the sitting room and came back with a small red lacquer box with Chinese bird motifs, where she keept her jewels. Intrigued, he watched as she opened it and removed a small white paper crane from the mist of the wealth of reds, emeralds and golds inside it. She smiled reassuringly putting the little origami bird in front of Soren and closing the box. It was a very wonky little paper crane, obviously folded by small and clumsy five-year-old fingers, with more than a little help from mummy, with doodles and glittery muggle football stickers scattered all over it. In the typical all-over-the-place fashion children his age had to go about their artistic pursuits, Soren had probably "decorated" the poor little bird with little regard to the small matter of keeping it in a recognizable shape, which only made the crane all the more wonky and misshapen.
"Ready?" Evelyn asked sweetly. Soren looked up at her, then at Severus, then down at the little paper crane, as if he was about to face a firing squad. Severus wanted to say something, to do something, but Soren looked up at his mother again and nodded vigorously.
"Ready."
Evelyn sat by Severus´ side and took his left hand into hers, squeezing it a bit. Both of them just sat very quietly and still, looking at their son as he frowned and concentrated, his eyes glued to the paper crane as if his little life depended on it. Severus could feel Evelyn taking a deep breath, and looked at her about to say something, but she shushed him before he could open his mouth.
"Just watch, Sev..." She whispered
His eyes watched his son´s face tense, then looked down at the crane. The paper bird was trembling ever so slightly...Severus watched as it started to wobble erratically...a few seconds of convulsive movement and the origami straightened up and became still. Severus held his breath as the crane slowly ascended...It took it but a couple of seconds to start hoovering a whole feet over the tabletop. Once it had somewhat become stable, the crane started to glide around the air and gently made its way towards him. Amazed, Severus stretched out his hand, and the paper crane slid down, landing on his palm with the control and grace of a living bird. Severus looked down at the crane´s wings and saw a shaky "I" followed by a crooked heart and a "you, dad" that Evelyn obviously had helped him with. Soren´s incipient signature, missing an "e", graced the other wing.
He looked over to his son´s face. Soren and Evelyn had just exchanged a couple of glances, like two naughty children who had just successfully managed some mischief. She was smiling broadly and his eyes were wide with satisfaction and anticipation, the seed of a smile sparkled on his lips, just waiting for one word of his father to blossom.
"You like it?" Soren asked, anxiously.
"It´s...amazing, son" Severus could feel his voice coming out strangled and fought back the sting of tears burning his eyes "It´s the best birthday present anyone has even given me, Soren."
"I´ve been practising since New Year."
"Soren, dear...I think mummy has forgotten the napkins on the kitchen table...can you go get them for me, please?" Evelyn said, making her voice as cheery as possible, while her hand gently squeezed Severus´ shoulder.
As Soren happily toddled away, Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clumsily wiping away little tears from the corner of his eyes.
"Severus..." She touched his face with the tips of her fingers. Severus took her hand into his and kissed her knuckles. When he looked at her, her eyes were as misty as his own.
"It´s okay, love..."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes...It´s just...This really was the best present anybody ever gave me..." He chuckled lightly "And that includes that one time you bought Bailey´s ice cream and whipped cream and we..."
"Severus!" She gave his hand a little smack, and looking away from him to where Soren was leisurely strolling back into the room.
"Oh, there you are" Severus smiled and picked him up again "Now come here and tell me about all this practice..."
"You know, he begged me no to tell you anything, because he wanted to give you a big surprise, wasn´t it Soren?" She beamed, discreetly wiping her tears. As Soren babbled away about his intensive magical training, Severus caressed her hair.
"Thank you.." he whispered.
She simply smiled and started to cut the cake.