You know, I was born in the month of October. The school term starts in September, they took me in though Dumbledore said that I had extraordinary magical powers and that they would be okay if I turn eleven a month later. So I was actually a month younger to everybody else, it didn't bother me then, so why should it now?

I'm a sixth year Hogwarts student; the head girl and the most important of all- I'm sixteen years old. Well actually I should be sixteen by now, but I'm fifteen and this is what is bothering me. Even if I'm fifteen by now I should be having some self-control. The very thing I'm lacking.

My life is still normal- I'm dreadful at transfiguration and I'm sitting by the common room fire deep in thought. Yes, I'm still in the Gryffindor common room when I should be in the heads' quarters. I want to talk to Alice, only if she's free from talking to her boyfriend- frank longbottom.

I'm still here because I know when I get into the heads' common room I've got to deal with potter which, at the moment I would not be able to control.

Okay, so now Alice is done talking to frank and she's coming over here. I'm struggling to keep a straight face instead of a grim. She walks in, sits down beside me and is now staring at me. Nope! This time you are the one to start the conversation. Her brows raised….. They're rising and rising….and they crossed her bangs so now I can't see them.

"What?" she calls out impatiently

"What what?"

"Lily are you going to tell me why did you call me or not?"

"it's just that….its tomorrow and I can't wait anymore"

She sighs as if I'm a three year old baby begging for a lollipop

"it's almost there lily. Dinners done; now you go have your beauty sleep and then when you wake up you'll be sixteen."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now go."

So then she kicks me out of the common room and I have nowhere to go so I go to the heads' common room, where else can I go?

I step in the common room- thank god potter's not here. I push myself on the couch, still staring at the fire. Hey! Speaking of potter, I must tell you he's changed…. He no more an arrogant prat, doesn't pranks the first years, doesn't answer back to me…..well he does answer back to be but in a smarter way.

Well never before did I notice how handsome he was…..those twinkling little eyes, tall and muscular body, and the way he winks at me…..it drives me crazy. Some people here actually think I'm developing a crush on him, which in fact is so not true. But still I don't mind if I get linked up with him…..don't mind at all

With him I've noticed a few changes in me too….. I mean I no longer call him 'potter' I call him James , except in my thoughts he still remains potter. You see old habits die hard. Things are getting better between us- at the end of last year, we decided to be friends….decided to be more polite towards because we knew this enemy thing is going to take us nowhere.

Now I know what you're thinking…..I'd love to go out with him, and that's where the bad part starts. It's been a couple of months and he hasn't asked be out. Well that is strange because it's a daily routine for the whole lot of Hogwarts- seeing Evans and potter fight in the morning at breakfast table. It's getting hard for me to digest the fact…

I know if it's so desperate I should ask him out myself but you see it's the guy who makes the first move, always. Besides, it's my own pride that is pulling me back. I don't think he likes me anymore, and why should he? I mean I was horrible to him all these years …..he deserves someone better.

Its only now, did I realize that my eyes are closed and my head is resting at the backrest of the couch, apparently he's very comfortable. I feel a little push on my right side. I open my eyes only to find that James is sitting beside me… Oh. My. God… the James potter…

Stop it lily, and wipe that stupid smile off your face. He's still here, staring at me. I'm trying to keep my expression as calm and straight as possible but then, when I look into his deep hazel eyes I don't feel like looking away. I feel myself drowning into them. I mentally punch myself and force myself to look away.

He chuckles at my senselessness.

"Hey" he says after he's done smiling. See I was talking about this- now how am I supposed to deal with my increasing heartbeat or my smiles? When I register that he said something to me and that it will be very rude not to reply, I reply.

"Hi" I say, it's the only thing I can manage to utter at this very moment.

"You look very happy."

Okay is this a statement or a question….I told you to wipe out that idiotic smile off. How does he manage to look so calm? I guess it's here that the tutor girl needs practice. I glance at my wrist watch and this only increases my heartbeat…its five minutes to twelve.

"Its five minutes to twelve." And how is he supposed to know that its goanna be my birthday.

Bugger! I spent two bloody hours thinking about him…I must be going really crazy.

Before I can say something else to elaborate, the lights go off. I look around …well admit it that's the first thing you do when the lights go off, very well knowing that you won't be able to see anything.

I spread my hands out to see if he's there….. He's not …..

Damn.

I get up, to search for some flashlight or candle or something. My left leg runs into the ruddy table and I'm like….double damn.

I start remembering the things to be done when the light goes off-

Avoid the mirrors.

Get into your bed as fast as you can before the demons come after you

If you can't find anyone that surely means that zombies ate them all and you're gonna be next.

Run for your life.

But before I can do anything. I hear a loud BAM! And then it's like lights are on, everybody is here.

They all shout in my ear.

"SURPRISE!" it all happened so fast that I had no time to react to all this. Its like so many people around here – Sirius, Remus, James, peter, frank, Alice and the whole sixth year Gryffindor batch.….OMG! I called potter 'James' …..really, I feel like saying that word over and over again….

JAMES!JAMES!JAMES!JAMES!JAMES!JAMES! In my mind, obviously .

I look in front of me. There is James pushing this table in front of me. There's a cake on the table and it reads ' happy sixteen lily!'. It's a circular chocolate cake with vanilla icing and the message again written in chocolate. It's exactly the way I wanted…..like my dream cake. You must be thinking that I'm going nuts but really-I love chocolate. Generally its always strawberry with the same boring old message 'happy birthday lily' it's the way petunia likes it.

I've heard about people giving surprises and throwing parties for their besties but actually…is this for me!

I mean all I used to have till eleven was that mum and dad would take me to my favourite restaurant for dinner and ask me for what I wanted for gift.

It was like suddenly the heads' common room was changed into a disco. There were disco lights, loud music, butterbeers and god knows what all! People were dancing and having fun….there was some random guy playing as DJ! ….i mean a DJ at my party…..

Everybody was coming and hugging me; like known, unknown all random people.

Then Alice came over and hugged me so tightly ; I thought she's gonna crush my ribs.

"HAPPY SIXTEEN LILY" what was the need to shout? But never mind it was my party and everyone was getting super wild so it's okay …..a little ear damage is fine with me.

"How the hell did you manage this ?"

"Well I guess we all are excellent at charms work!"

She grabbed my hair tie and pulled it out of my hair. She came close and whispered into my ears.

"Okay don't look now but….look now."

I looked front and saw James coming towards me…he was beaming…he was beaming at me….

OH DEAR STOP IT OR I'LL MELT ON THE FLOOR…

He came over and gave me a light side-hug. And I could tell – it was better than the thousands I had just now! Nice and warm and gentle …so cute!

"Happy birthday!"

"Thanks"

Thanks? Really…THANKS? He's your biggest crush and all you say is – THANKS! You stupid little—

But he pushes the cake knife into my hands and tells me to cut the cake.

Sirius yells at the DJ to stop the music and suddenly every eye present here is on me….i do what a nice birthday girl should do- I walk towards the cake and I'm about to cut the cake when—

"Wait! Make a wish!" Remus interrupts me.

Okay then….wait… lily be careful what you wish for. So I think over it for like 5 seconds then when I'm completely sure with the sentence forming , I close my eyes and wish for the thing in my mind.

I wish that this year I'll make it up with James.

And then I blow the sixteen candles. I cut the cake and then I so ahead with the very first piece towards him. Before I put it in his mouth, he grabs my hand (heartbeat getting faster) and breaks the tiny piece into two.

"First you"

Then he gently pushes the cake in my mouth. The chocolate melts in my mouth…I feel like 'am I that hot?' then… I do the same with him.

Everyone is still silent. I turn for Alice but just then I feel a hand grab my arm. I turn around and see that James is holding my hand.

Common sense keeps pushing me: 'ask him, ask him out, make the first move.'

So before he can say something I break in

"Will you—"

"Go out with me?"

He completes my sentence. YES! YES! YES!

"I'd love to."

And then I hear everybody shouting and hooting like "whooo" and from somewhere Sirius shouts "go for it prongs"

I feel two hot red patches on my cheeks.

He lifts me up by my waist (blushing darker) and spins me into circles.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this." He says..still beaming

"This is the best birthday gift ever."

He puts me down…..then the next thing I know- Alice is pushing a huge chunk of cake down my neck. I cover my mouth so that it doesn't falls out.

Out of nowhere Sirius and Remus come out and grab my neck and push me over the cake. I feel the chocolate rubbing my face. But still it's really yummy.

"Is it?"

Okay I guess I said that aloud

"Yeah its really tasty."

"You know what - prongs worked on it for two hours."

DID I HEARD IT WRONG?JAMES POTTER MADE MY CAKE!

"You did?" I asked turning over to him. He didn't say anything but I saw the red patches on his cheeks… after a few seconds remus answered for him

"Yeah he went down to the kitchen and made it for you."

AWWWWWWWWW…..HE DID THAT FOR ME!

I stood on my toes and kissed him on the cheek and he deserved it….only to rub chocolate on his cheek. When I broke apart he licked the chocolate and said

"It really is yummy."

I felt like crying out of happiness….and then that day I realized something…something that took me years to understand.

When I turn sixteen I'm also fifteen,fourteen,thirteen,twelve,eleven,ten,nine,e ight,seven,six,five,four,three,two and one.

And I carry it with me….every single day.

So it's okay to sometimes cry like a three year old, dance like a nine year old and talk like a sixteen year old. It's like who you are …and what you are…..

Always be your true self. If you find it hard to be yourself just do whatever your heart says- right or wrong…follow your instincts.

As they say—

Use your head and follow your heart…

Authors note-how was it? Was it lame? Silly? made you laugh? made you cry? Let me know in the review box down below….

Loads of love for my readers

Me006

Ps: what is the best part in the story for you? Let me know in the review…