Here's a 500-word drabble, written for Lady Eleanor Boleyn's Birthdays challenge on The Dark Lord's Most Faithful forum. I'm liking the Dumbledores more and more, really…
Birthdays
Your challenge for the next two weeks is to write a story involving one or more Harry Potter Characters and a Birthday Celebration of some sort!
As per Usual, Word Limit is some multiple of 100 (or as close as possible, anyway)
The cake is huge and brightly-coloured, candles burning bright with dancing magical flames that send sparks flying in the air. Ariana giggles, happy and enchanted, transfixed, for some reason, by the great and enticing being that is her brother. It is a good day of hers. Her skin glows a healthy pink in their sun-filled kitchen, her eyes are wide and alive, and as she opens her little mouth in a merry, gleeful fit of laughter, her tiny teeth gleam, all but a lately fallen one.
And it hurts just a little, as he is probably the only one in the household to give a damn – watch your mouth, Aberforth, especially around your sister – about the tooth at all. He is the one to tickle and congratulate her and he is the one to whisper stories into her eager ear, tales he remembers from hazy, faraway days and twists at his fancy, just for the high of her tinkling laugh. He knows how to handle her and it's not like he's asking for awards and gratitude, but all the same this stings and things writhe unsaid under his skin, things he isn't quite sure how to word. Albus would know how to express them. But Albus is busy smiling and cursing the candles with those newly-acquired talents of his so they will burn stronger, higher, brighter. Albus doesn't care much what Ab thinks and probably assumes he doesn't think at all. Albus was away for the whole year and it is only natural that Ariana missed him, really. As it is natural that he's coming home so excited, so much taller and so taken by his studies and achievements and friends. Normal. That's a word Ab knows well, he has kicked it around in his head many times before. Normal. Ariana's laughter would normally trigger his smile but today it can't, not quite. Today is Albus' day and the flames burn bright, they're licking at his guts, at his secret shameful jealous feelings, deep, low, hidden. They're like poison.
Albus cuts the cake, one swift, smooth, elegant gesture, but it is so soft and crumbles in their plates, unable to hold in one piece. Ariana cries out in dismay and Ab and their mother are tensing abruptly. Then she laughs again, cheerful if disappointed, and takes one big bite of the colourful mess.
"Ariana, wait for your brother!" Kendra scolds half-heartedly. "You greedy girl. It's his day!"
So yes, yes, this is Albus' day and Ab stands there awkwardly, fighting a scowl because he, after all, missed his brother too. And the cake is too sweet, too soft under his teeth, it tastes like something fancy and so very short-lived.
Albus talks, and Ab tries to listen. Ariana does but he – he'd quite like to run. He wants the sun on his bare skin, the sweat and the freedom. He wants out.
But Ariana can't go out, and today she wouldn't even want to. So Ab remains, without a word.