Happy Birthday Potter

James's awakening that morning was a rude one.

Of course, living in a dormitory with three other teenage boys meant that this occasion wasn't particularly unusual.

"Argh!" James exclaimed, jerking into consciousness as a large... thing fell on him.

Opening his hazel eyes, he saw what the thing was, and groaned again, attempting to kick it off the bed.

"Sod off, Padfoot," he said grouchily, burrowing his head under the covers. "Trying to sleep here."

"Get uuup!" Sirius whined, like a child on Christmas Morning.

"Whyyy?" James responded in the same tone of voice, still trying to push him off. It was no use trying to get back to sleep now though; he was wide awake. His four-poster's curtains had been drawn back, and Remus and Peter were looking from their beds, amused. Light was streaming through the gap in the curtains – so it couldn't be too early.

"Because it's time for breakfast, Birthday Boy," Sirius replied.

James sat up.

Birthday. Right.

James' seventeenth birthday started in the way that most of Hogwarts birthdays had; with the Marauders piling his plate with food, and planning another legendary prank.

"Fireworks?" suggested Peter.

"Nah," Sirius replied, through a mouthful of toast. "We used 'em in fourth year. We need something original.

Remus looked pointedly at Sirius for his table manners, but didn't comment because an idea struck him.

"Confetti," he said, eyes shining.

James made a face. "Confetti?"

"Not normal confetti," Remus said, rolling his eyes. "Marauder confetti."

"You mean..." Peter said, catching on and grinning.

"I've always wondered if the Slytherins were fond of red," Sirius smirked, nodding approvingly. "Nice one Moony."

Remus smiled, and shuffled closer to Peter as three girls joined his side of the table. "Hello Lily, Marlene, Alice," he said politely.

"Hi, Remus," Lily greeted her fellow sixth-year prefect. "Peter."

James didn't miss the way that her eyes flicked in his direction, her cheeks reddening ever so slightly. He grinned to himself. Evans-baiting was fun.

"Good morning there, Evans," he said in a amicable voice.

"Hello," she said stiffly, grabbing the jug of pumpkin juice to pour into her goblet.

"Isn't it a fine day," James continued, grinning as he looked up in mock-interest at the cloudless blue ceiling. "March the twenty-seventh is always fine, after all..."

Sirius caught on. "It is, it is," he said, also looking serenely up at the ceiling. "The birds are tweeting, the sky is blue. A fabulous day to be born on, wouldn't you say, old chum?"

James fought to keep a straight face at that one. Luckily, he didn't have to reply, as Marlene and Alice cut in at the same time, wishing him a Happy Birthday.

"Thank you, ladies," he replied with a grin, before turning his gaze back to Lily. She was looking particularly good today – her red hair falling perfectly around her pink-tinged face.

James smirked. "Not even a little 'Happy Birthday', Evans? I must confess myself disappointed..."

He knew she couldn't resist a battle of wills. And wits. It was what they did – Lily and he.

Lily caught on to the game quickly – as he knew she would.

"Pass the cereal, Marlene," she said, the corners of her mouth turning up.

James could feel the smirks from the other Marauders being sent his way as he smiled at her, that familiar warm feeling spreading through his torso.

James's lessons that day went surprisingly quickly, what with the Marauder birthday tradition of mini-pranks in each. He was amused to watch Peter, Remus and Sirius bewitch the textbooks in Transfiguration so that McGonagall had to spend half of the lesson getting them down from the ceiling; In Potions, the Slytherins found that every ingredient they touched stuck to their hands; and Charms... well, just imagine everyone who'd openly disapproved of their previous antics (with the exception of Lily Evans, of course), had a very bad hair day.

It had been a good birthday, as far as birthdays went; and the best was yet to come. The Marauders' main prank, and the party which would commence afterwards.

But before that: Food.

James piled his plate high with sausages, sat next to Sirius, opposite Remus and Peter. The Marauders' usual seats. Soon enough, Lily Evans joined them, chucking her bag under the bench as she sat down.

"I hope you know that those pranks were completely juvenile."

Sirius snorted. "Get off your high horse, Evans. I saw you laughing when Mucliber was flailing his dungbeetle-covered hand around."

Lily mouth twitched. "...but what you did to McLaggen, that wasn't fair."

James was the one to snort this time. "He had it coming. Messing up that stupid hair of his, trying to impress everyone. I'd like to see him get his hand through those locks any time soon."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "You've got a thing against vanity now, Potter?" she asked, a trace of irony evident in her tone.

"Not fair," James countered at once.

If possible, Lily raised her eyebrows higher.

"I had good hair to start with," he said, looking to Sirius for support. "Right, Pads?"

Sirius messed up James' hair for effect. "Sure thing, Prongs."

Lily rolled her eyes, but Remus interrupted with: "Time to start?"

James and Sirius nodded, and Remus and Peter stood up, drawing their wands. They slipped a silvery material over themselves, and disappeared.

"What was that?" Lily asked curiously.

"Nothing you have to worry about, Lily dear," James replied.

Before Lily had a chance to protest at his patronising tone, it started.

Confetti burst from the walls, gathering in a storm of red and gold. Like a whirlwind, it spread across the room, coating the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. It lingered over the staff table for a moment, leaving a light sprinkling, before making its way to the Slytherin table.

It was difficult to see what transpired there, until the confetti finally dropped, and the Slytherins were left coated with the stuff.

The whole of the Great Hall burst into laughter, and a few enthusiastic Marauder Fans began to whistle and applaud. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, took their bows, each grinning widely.

James turned around quickly to see how Lily had taken it, and was surprised to see her laughing, her green eyes sparkling at him.

"You're an idiot," she said weakly, "All of you."

James stood down from his bench so that he was next to her, and asked. "Really?"

Lily smiled a little more, as if wondering whether or not to indulge him, before shaking her head, still laughing a little.

"Actually, it was extraordinary magic," she admitted, taking a step closer to him.

James grinned, "Thank you."

He knew what her next words were going to be before they left her mouth.

She met his eyes, and smiled that perfect smile. "Happy Birthday, Potter."

And then she hugged him.

A/N: A bit of birthday fluff for our favourite Marauder!

Let me know what you think :)