12. Forgotten Missives

Sometimes, life is unfair. I know this because today is my birthday. Now, I know that birthdays are good things, but you see, today is my birthday and it just so happens to be a Monday. So, as it's Monday, that means my day is to start off with double Arithmancy. Then double Transfiguration. The end of the day isn't so bad, double Potions. I know the end of my day won't be so bad because Professor Slughorn is so lovely to me. In fact, even though it is my birthday, I actually have a present for him.

Anyway back to the point in hand. Sometimes, life is unfair because today is my birthday, it's also a Monday and I have to start the day with double Arithmancy, and I'm sat here on my own at the Gryffindor table eating my breakfast, ALONE, because my friends are normal and have free periods before their classes start so they are all still in bed. And to top that off, I haven't spoken to James Potter since that disastrous New Year party! Did I mention that sometimes life isn't fair?

So, I've taken to once again staring at myself in the back of my spoon and trying to ignore the weird looks from first years. I'm trying to stop my mind from wandering back to that party. I'm really annoyed. And confused. And hurt and upset. All of these emotions because of one silly black haired boy with stupid glasses. Ah, I hear screeching, that means the owls are here. I wonder what could be arriving for me today... as it's my birthday and all.

Excellent. I have decided that Birthdays are good things despite the fact that this one is on a Monday. Mum and Dad have sent me a good haul... all these sweets should keep me going until the next Hogsmede trip. So gifted am I, even Petunia sent me a card... looks pretty squished though, I'll bet that great oaf of hers sat on it.

'Ooh, that's a lot of presents, Red... what's the occasion?' Sirius plonked himself down beside me and started picking through my sweets. Now, I'm a little miffed and I glare at him until he realises I've not responded, 'What? What's with the death glares?' I shoved his hand away from my lovely goodies.

'Sirius, what day is it?' I asked extremely politely considering that I'm extremely miffed.

'Err, Monday?' Ding ding, clever boy!

'And the date?' I ask, again, extremely politely.

'31st January?' Correct again.

'Right, and what happens on the 31st of January every year which means I get post?' I'm getting a little narked now. He's looking thoughtful, stroking his chin... I'm waiting for the light bulb moment.

'Erm...' I begin packing up my sweets in a huff because he's obviously forgotten, 'Oh, Lily! Of course I haven't forgotten something as important as your birthday!' Immediately forgiven. 'Now c'mere and give us a hug!' He pulls me in for a bone crunching squeeze and twirls me around, sets me down and gives me a big fat kiss on the cheek. 'And because you're so funny to wind up, and you've been such a good sport, I have a present for you.' There's more? He hands me a parcel covered in brown paper. 'Go on, open it!' I ripped the paper off the parcel and let it fall to the table.

'Sirius! I can't believe it! Is this really for me?' A special, magical edition of Pride and Prejudice. My favourite muggle book!

'It's from the Marauders.' He said, beaming at my surprise, 'There's something tucked away in there for you, but I've been told to tell you to open it in private.' I found what he was talking about... looked like a letter of some form. 'Anyway, James said to tell you that he'd see you in a few minutes in Arithmancy.' I glanced down at my watch. Crap! 5 minutes to get to the other side of the school.

'Thank you so much, Sirius.' I told him as I started packing my things up.

'I'll see you in Transfiguration,' he called, 'and we're having lunch in the common room today!' he had to shout because I was already running out of the great hall.

Lunchtime. I'm having an extremely good day so far. James spoke to me in Arithmancy... not that there was much time to say anything when Professor Sinistra insists on everyone working in silence. But it's a massive leap forward since New Year. I can't help the huge Cheshire grin on my face either. Then in Transfiguration, it was like everything just seemed to make sense and I could do it! My wand movements were perfect and my incantations were spot on and McGonagall even gave me 10 points for Gryffindor... A first! And now, it's lunchtime and my friends have somehow managed to set the common room up to make it look like a child's tea party! I have the best friends ever!

'Come on Lily! We're playing magical, musical chairs!' Mary shouted. This could be dangerous! Turns out that the magical in magical, musical chairs meant that when the music stopped, any random chair would just disappear whether you were sat on it or not. I'm sure a few people have got bruises in rather sensitive areas. Sirius's was the best... he was bouncing up and down on the chair thinking he'd won when it just disappeared mid bounce... he took lots of pride in showing us all his magnificent bruised buttocks until he realised that it hurt too much to sit!

'Just Lily and James left!' Jenny shouted. Now, the last round of magical, musical chairs and there are still two chairs left, whoever picks the chair that doesn't disappear, wins. So me and James are meandering around the chairs while some random Celestina Warbeck tune is playing in the background.

'I'm gonna win this one, Evans.' James challenges.

'Not if I get there first, Potter!' I stuck my tongue out at him. Our friends were laughing and giggling away while watching our dance of wits... or lack thereof.

'Don't stick your tongue out, Evans!'

'Why not, Potter?'

'It's not ladylike.' I stuck my tongue out again.

'Never complained before, Potter.' There was a pregnant pause. Oh, crap the music stopped! What ensued next can only be considered as a mad dash to sit on a seat... the same seat, 'gerroff, Potter!'

'No way, I was here first!'

'Whatever happened to chivalry?' I said poking him in the chest.

'It ran away with your ladylikeness!' he poked my forehead.

'Touch-aargh!' The seat disappeared from underneath us and we ended up in a pile of tangled limbs. I could hear the laughter erupt around us. I turned over to try and get up and ended up meeting James's stare. 'Guess this means we're both losers?'

'Or winners.' I just stared at him until he broke the moment. He pushed up off the floor and pulled me with him, 'I think that means our dear Lily's party is over, I hear Potions calling!' A unanimous groan erupted throughout our little group of friends. Just as I was climbing through the portrait, I felt a tug on my hand. I turned around to see James, 'Here, this is for you.' He held out a small piece of parchment towards me. I took it from his outstretched hand but before I could read it, he pushed past and pulled me out through the portrait door and towards our gaggle of laughing friends.

Tonight. 8pm. Library.

Well what in Merlin's saggy left buttock is that supposed to mean? I showed Mary the note and she had no idea what it means either,

'That has to be the most confusing note anybody has ever sent.' She checked it over again, turning it over in her hands, 'Are you sure he didn't give you anything with it?' I shook my head, 'Hmmm, very strange... He must have had a bludger to the head recently.'

'Never mind recently. I always thought he was dropped on his head at birth.' I took the note from Mary and pocketed it.

'Would explain a lot I guess.' Mary shrugged. Totally useful best friend there. She's supposed to be the one with all the helpful suggestions. 'What present did the marauders get you?' she asked. I pulled out my lovely new copy of Pride and Prejudice and showed her, 'Oooh! One of my favourites. How did they know?'

'Well, I figured I've spent enough time around them recently at one time or another for them to realise that my old copy is so battered, its missing pages.'

Mary was still examining the book when she came across the envelope, 'What's this?' She turned it over, 'Say's open me alone. Say, Lils, you don't think he means for you to be in the Library alone tonight so you can open this?' I could kiss Mary! I take back all I said about her being useless!

7.57pm. Now I'm wondering if I should open this at 8pm on the dot, or if I should open it now. Decisions. Well, if Madam Pince stops staring at me as though she thinks I'm up to something, I might be able to concentrate on the task at hand. As it is, I reckon she thinks that I'm planning something as I've been sat here for the past 10 minutes or so, blindly staring at an envelope probably looking as though I'm attempting a book burning with my mind.

7.59pm. I'm not waiting any longer. I rip it open and pull out the parchment inside.

Our past together is fun,

And today we make our memories.

Our future will be our history,

But can you solve this mystery?

You may not think he's witty,

In fact, he calls you Mitsy.

We all say it's a bore,

But Batty eases the chore.

Find me on the shelf,

And don't call a house elf!

What. The. Hell? Fun and games? Do I really have time? I piece the bits together. Binns calls me Mitsy on a daily basis so it has something to do with History of Magic, which definitely lends itself to being boring. Batty eases the chore? The marauders call McGonagall, Minnie. Would they dare call Bathilda Bagshot, Batty? Only one way to find out. I got up, carefully concealing the message in my bag and headed for the history section. Sure enough, there was A History of Magic poking out of the shelf. I picked it up and another envelope fell out. I tore it open immediately, dropping the big leather bound tomb to the floor, earning myself a hiss from Pince.

So you've found me!

Or have you?

Leave the library and head to Astronomy,

Take the right course and you'll find one anomaly.

Right, off towards the astronomy tower. The castle is eerily quiet for a Monday night. And quite dark as well. I'm suddenly wondering if this all isn't just one big joke to scare me out of my wits. I keep walking, painfully aware how loud my footsteps are as they echo around hallway. Why did I have to do this alone? I hear a noise up ahead and walk toward it. It sounds like music and I can see light. I hurry towards it and find it coming from an abandoned classroom. I enter the classroom expecting to find something, anything, but it's just empty. With the lights on. With music playing. I feel disappointment creep up on me. I'm about to turn to leave when the door slams shut behind me. What on earth? The lights and the music turn off at the same time. Oh shit! What in Dumbledore's beard is going on? I light my wand and look up. My wand catches something moving in the light. I head towards it when out of nowhere, a face jumped into my vision.

'BOO!' I screamed.

The lights came on and there was a loud, 'SURPRISE!'

'Oh my God!' I grinned while clutching my heart, poor ticker! There were all my friends, Mary, Jenny, Lizzy and the marauders, nearly everyone from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and a few Ravenclaws.

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILY!' everyone shouted. The room was decorated with lots of scarlet and gold balloons and banners and streamers. Merlin, I could kill them!

'What's this all for?' I asked Mary after everyone had settled into the party atmosphere. There was music, dancing, drinking... drinking games...

'Well, we couldn't let your coming of age go without a bang, Lils!' She shouted at me over the loud music. 'It was all James's idea!' I looked over toward where James was lounging against a wall, chatting idly with a 4th year Ravenclaw boy who I recognised from their Quidditch team. He mock saluted me and I smiled back at him in thanks.

'I can't believe there are so many people here.'

'Well, why would anybody miss the chance to have a party on a school night?' Mary giggled.

'I'm just going to get some air, it's so hot in here. Couldn't the marauders have thought of air conditioning?' As I meandered through to the door, people greeted me and gave me hugs and well wishes. I finally managed to escape into the cool hallway. It felt like being plunged into ice water. I sat on a window ledge and stared out at the moonlit, snow covered grounds of Hogwarts. This is what I wanted for Christmas. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't notice the presence beside me until he spoke.

'Happy Birthday, Lily.' I turned with a start and looked at him.

'Thanks, James.' He sat down beside me and looked out of the window at the same landscape.

'I've come to give you your present.' He said in a quiet voice, 'I wanted so badly to see you at Christmas because I wanted to give you your gift then.' He turned to look at me, 'And then, I didn't have a chance at New Year because of...' He trailed off, 'I've been wondering how to get you alone again ever since.'

'James...'

'Lily... Can we do the countdown again?'

'Why do you need a countdown?'

'It helps.'

'Ok... 3.'

'2.' He leaned toward me.

'1.' I whispered. There was a pregnant pause as our noses touched before his lips claimed mine. Soft at first, his stubble tickled my lips. He threaded his fingers into my hair and pulled me closer, deepening the kiss. Our tongues danced until we broke apart, grinning and gasping for air.

'I have wanted to do that for so long.' He whispered. He held my head in his hands, our foreheads touching, 'But there always seems to be something that gets in the way.' We kissed again, this time with more fervour, more need. I meshed my fingers into his already messed up hair. A small cough interrupted our reverie. We looked up to see which of our friends was about to be Avarda'd. Mary. And she's got that annoying I told you so look on her face... smug cow!

'When you two have finished sucking the breath out of each other, we have a cake and candles to blow out, Lily.' I stuck my tongue out her. She just smirked and turned back into the room.

'Something always gets in the way.' I started to get up.

'Where do you think you're going?' James asked grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me back down to his lap.

'Er, to blow out my candles?' I replied.

'She said when we're finished... I'm not finished yet.' He grinned that lopsided Potter grin of his and pulled me back to his lips.

Life is awesome. Life is so awesome, because today is my birthday. And not only is today my birthday, but I've got the best birthday present ever. Life is awesome because today is my birthday and I've got the best present ever, because I'm snogging James Potter.