Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me. All rights go to JK Rowling/Warner Bros. I do not profit in any way.
Happy Birthday, Lily Evans!
Lily walked down to the Great Hall, with Alice and Marlene on either side - they insisted on linking arms with her, despite her vehement objections that there wasn't enough room to walk three-a-breast.
"Rubbish," said Alice. "This is Hogwarts, Lils. The corridors are plenty wide enough.
Marlene nodded her agreement; "And even if they weren't, people can wait!"
"Right," agreed Alice, "Birthday Girl gets more walking-space.
Lily snorted, but couldn't help smiling all the same.
It was 30th January; the day she finally turned seventeen.
"It really is lucky that it's a Saturday," Alice commented. "We've got breakfast first, and then presents in the Great Hall, and then..." Alice stopped abruptly when Marlene nudged her violently. "What!" she said indignantly, "I wasn't going to tell... oh never mind," she gave up when Marlene continued to glare.
"What?" Lily asked.
"Nothing," Marlene said.
"But..."
"Nothing."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"I'll find out later," she pointed out.
"Exactly," Marlene finished, tugging on her arm. "Now come on, Birthday Girl!"
Lily allowed herself to be tugged into the Great Hall, and the three Gryffindor Girls settled on their house table.
"Happy Birthday, Lily," came a quiet voice from the opposite side of the bench.
"Thank you, Remus," she replied with a smile. She really did like Remus Lupin - her fellow prefect since fifth year.
"Season's Greetings, Head Girl," a much louder voice said from a similar direction. She rolled her eyes... bloody Sirius Black.
"Season's Greetings is for Christmas," she commented. "A simple 'Happy Birthday' would do. Or, I don't know... maybe a 'Good Morning Lily, and a very Happy Birthday to you. Now here are all of the banned items I've been stashing in my trunk for the past six years.'"
Sirius' eyebrows pulled up, "What would make you think I've been harbouring banned items, Evans?" he asked innocently. "Actually, I'm rather hurt by the insinuation."
She smiled despite herself as the third Marauder joined the party.
"Hi," Peter Pettigrew said, and grabbed a croissant from one of the large serving platters. "Happy Birthday, Lily," he added with a smile in Lily's direction.
"Thanks," Lily replied. "So, err... where's Ja-Potter this morning?" she asked of the three Marauders, pretending to be oblivious of the knowing looks her two best friends exchanged.
"He's err..." Peter started.
"Occupied..." Remus continued.
"And he'll be along in a minute or two." Sirius finished, with a significant look at the other two.
"Well, that answers my question," Lily said sarcastically. She let the subject go, and grabbed a croissant of her own. After all, maybe a lack of James Potter was a blessing.
However, the Great Hall wasn't deprived of Potter for long; he arrived just as Lily was tucking into her second pancake.
Lily suddenly felt a pair of hands clamp over her eyes, and cool breath on her neck. She shrieked (somewhat girlishly, she was ashamed to say,) and slapped his hands away.
"Good morning, Evans," James Potter smirked down at her, before ducking under the table to join his friends on the other side.
"You're a git," she said good-naturedly.
"Naturally," he grinned. "It's all set up, Padfoot," he added to the boy on his left.
Sirius grinned, and Lily suddenly felt uneasy.
"What's..." she didn't finish, thanks to the explosions coming from all directions.
The fireworks exploded from overhead, all different colours; pink, green, orange, purple. But most predominately... Red.
Oh, Merlin.
Even the teachers were clapping by the end of the display, Sirius and James standing up and bowing as 'Happy Birthday Lily!' burned scarlet in the enchanted morning sky.
Lily herself was halfway between admiration and exasperation, but as she looked over the teachers table to see Professor McGonagall herself join the applause; she shook her head at James – who was still wearing that stupid, cocky, arrogant, attractive smirk, the side of admiration and flattery won out, and she too clapped the four boys who were inevitably behind the magnificent display.
"Well, Evans," James said in an expectant tone as they walked out of the Great Hall together, the others trailing behind.
"I... It was good magic."
"Good Magic," James repeated in an incredulous tone, whilst somehow managing to smile at an awed first year. "It was bloody fantastic magic, Evans, and you know it!"
She did know it.
"Just out of interest," she asked, as they began to ascend the Grand Staircase, "For how long will my name be branding the sky?"
"Forever," he said solemnly.
Lily had a second of panic, and then hit him. "Not funny."
"I beg to differ," he grinned, "On the contrary, your face was hilarious."
Lily rolled her eyes, "Well?"
"Just until the end of the day," he chuckled.
They'd reached the seventh floor now, and James unexpectedly grabbed her hand and pulled her into a deserted seventh-floor classroom until their friends had passed.
"James, what are you..."
"You haven't thanked me yet," he said, grinning.
Lily suddenly noticed her proximity to him.
"Sod off, Potter," she said, guessing what he was insinuating.
James looked blank for a moment as she tried to move away.
"Oh, Merlin, Lily, not like that!" he said, looking a mixture of shocked and amused.
"Oh," she said. "Sorry..." he looked at her expectantly. "And err... thank you for branding my name into the sky for the day?" she smiled, intentionally intonating the statement as a question.
"You're welcome," he smirked.
Lily noticed he didn't let go of her hand as they walked towards the Fat Lady, and although she probably should have pulled away, she found that she didn't really want to; so they walked in companionable silence, hand-in-hand.
James stopped her again when they were right outside the portrait. He didn't say anything, merely smirked at her; and she realised what he wanted her to hear.
"James..." Lily started, listening carefully to make sure she wasn't mistaken.
"Hmm?" James replied, a smile growing on his face.
"Is that... music?"
James nodded.
"You're throwing me a party?" Lily exclaimed, smiling.
"Yep," James said, his grin fully fledged now.
Lily smiled back at him, looking up into his hazel eyes. "Thank you," she murmured.
James leant down, and kissed her pink-tinged cheek.
"Happy Birthday, Lily Evans."
A/N: I couldn't let Lily's birthday go without writing a little something for her, so here it is! Originally intended to be a lot shorter, but there you go; my fingers don't stop once they start typing!
For those who read Lily's Story, I promise there will be an update ASAP.
One review = one cookie.