I do not own Harry Potter, as much as I wish I did.

The Great Hall seemed cold and bright that morning, and Severus wished just for once on his birthday he could spend time not rushing from class to class in preparation for exams but rather relaxing by a nice warm fire. To make matters worse, he could see no sign of his bright-eyed best friend that made each day a little easier for him.

He sighed as he sat at the somewhat empty Slytherin table for breakfast, knowing that sitting at the Gryffindor table as he usually would only lead to trouble without Lily around; at least when sitting at this table, James Potter and his friends wouldn't dare come near him. However, it was quite unusual for Lily not to be there, as it was the most time she and Severus could talk privately before their classes. Maybe, he thought to himself, she forgot about me too.

Without Lily around, the morning seemed boring and bland, and he found himself watching the ice crystals form on the windows of the Great Hall for something to entertain his mind. With such a mundane activity being the only thing to preoccupy him, he unwillingly jumped a little when the screech of an owl came just right of his head.

The owl had swooped down just next to his food with an envelope encased in its talons addressed to him. Not recognizing the owl, Severus took the envelope cautiously. The owl ruffled its feathers and set off from where it came from.

"Bloody owls," he muttered under his breath, picking off the few feathers that had landed on his plate.

He opened the letter not knowing what to expect.

Sev,

Meet me in the old Muggle Studies classroom on the fourth floor after your last class today?

I need to talk to you.

- LE

He couldn't help but wonder, if she did need to talk to him, why she didn't just come down to breakfast and talk to him then. And why on earth would she want him to go to the old abandoned Muggle Studies room. Then it hit him; Potter. He probably just wanted to get Severus somewhere where Lily couldn't help him.

He would just have to ask her in class when the Gryffindors and Slytherins were supposed to have Charms together.

The thing was, Lily never showed up to Charms. It was unlike her to miss any of her classes if she could help it and he was beginning to worry about her. He was beginning to think that maybe the letter was from her; maybe she was upset about something he had done to the point where she didn't want to go to her classes. The last thing he wanted on his birthday was for her to be angry at him.

I'll go. He decided at the end of his last class of the day. She obviously wants to talk. Maybe she's not even angry with me, maybe she just needs to vent about that prat Potter. A slight smile spread across his face at the thought that Lily would come to him with her problems, rather than someone like Potter. It was possible that he shouldn't have worried all through Potions whether he had done something wrong or not.

As Professor Slughorn dismissed them, the dread in his stomach had somewhat lifted. It surely hadn't been the best birthday he'd ever had, but then again, it rarely ever was anything to look forward to. However, seeing Lily on any day was likely to make it better than not.

Most of the corridors were bustling with the sound of students rushing back to their common rooms for some weekend relaxation; however the mostly unused fourth floor corridor was silent. As long as he'd been at Hogwarts, only the spare potions room had been used; in his first year Sirius Black had made an exploding potion so strong that it took a week to repair the room, even by magical means.

He hesitated as he reached the room, deciding to pull out his wand, just in case.

As he opened the door quietly he couldn't help but find himself in awe. The room was elegantly dressed in Slytherins green and silver banners and mock fireplace in one corner of the room that burned his house colours. He spotted Lily's red hair in the centre of the room, hunched over what appeared to be a box of decorations.

"What's all this?" He smiled, still somewhat shocked.

"Oh, surprise?" she jumped up from the box, obviously not expecting him yet. She ran over and gave him a hug. "Happy Birthday."

Before the blush could even show on his face, she was pulling him over to one of the tables to where a cake sat, also decorated in the greens and silvers that the room was.

"Sorry it's not much," she said, as they sat down by the fireplace with their cake.

"No, thank you Lily; it's wonderful. This is the best birthday I think I've ever had." He looked over and gave her one of his rare smiles that only she seemed to get out of him.

She smiled back and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Happy Birthday, Sev."