Chapter Fourteen

"Happy birthday, Hermione!" Harry shouted when Hermione sat next to Ron at the breakfast table.

"Yeah, happy birthday, love," Ron said with a quick and awkward kiss to the cheek. Hermione just smiled graciously and attacked her eggs.

"What's wrong with the birthday girl?" Harry asked happily.

"Nothing," she replied hastily. "Nothing, Harry. I'm fine, really. It's my birthday."

"Happy birthday." Hermione stopped eating, everything in her world stopped.

"Thank you, Romulus," she said civilly, not even turning around to face him.

"I got you something." Remus had been planning for her birthday since August. He had bought her present back when he was just a crusty old bachelor with nothing better to do than peruse Diagon Alley.

"You really-I mean, you didn't have to. I held you under no obligations." Her cool voice was too polite, too proper and cold. It made his skin crawl. It made his hands freeze. It made his heart race in anticipation and regret.

"I hold myself under none as well." What was it about these kind of conversations that bring out the poetic side of people? In no normal conversation would people make such revealing statements. But in the words of cool civility come veiled hints at something more something secret and exotic. "This is for you." He pulled out the simple brown paper wrapped package. He laid it gently in her hand, making sure his fingers brushed her fingers and his eyes held hers.

"Thank you," she said slightly less rigidly.

"You're welcome, 'Mione." He walked on by her, feeling her breathing pattern change and seeing her eyes close as she held his present a little closer to her. He didn't look back. He refused to. She had made her choice now. It wasn't his business. He grabbed three sausages and some toast and left the Great Hall.

"What in blazes was all that?" Ron said, spreading little bits of food over everything.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "It was nothing." She said this was such conviction that Ron fell back in with his food and didn't look up again until he eaten everything in his reach. Harry, however, was eying Hermione and her package. She had stopped eating; all she was doing was fingering the paper.

"Why don't you open it?" he quirked his eyebrow at her.

"What's that, Harry?" She was off in her own little world. This can't be good, Harry thought suddenly.

"I said, 'why don't you open it?'."

"What's that, Harry?" Harry repeated himself a third time. "Oh! Uh, no time, Harry. I have to get to the library. Desperate amount of work to catch up on." With that she ran out of the Great Hall. Harry stared incredulously at the wooden doors.

"Yeah, I believe that. Ron," Harry said to his occupied friend, "what do you think?"

"Think of what?" Ron hummed through a full mouth.

"Weren't you paying attention, mate? She's your girlfriend."

"She's a smart bird; she can work out her problems on her own."

"What are you even talking about?" Harry said exasperated.

"I don't know. I was just coming up with whatever answer I thought would fit the discussion."

"You thick-head. Come on, we have to see what she's up to now."

"But, but-"

"No buts! Come on!" Harry said, practically dragging Ron off of the bench.

"Fine," Ron grunted as he grabbed a handful of toast to take with him.

Hermione Granger had never really enjoyed her birthday. It didn't help that the boys usually forgot it. Away from home, surrounded by friends that never really remember it, what fun could a birthday be? In fact, the boys probably wouldn't have remembered this year if it hadn't been for the banner Neville had hung in the Common Room. She couldn't help but smile to see the slightly slanted banner shaped like an open book that switched between 'Hermione Granger's 18!' and 'Happy 18, Hermione!'.

She hadn't actually lied to Harry and Ron. She had gone to the library. She sat in the farthest corner near a small window that overlooked the lake. Sunlight filter down onto her birthday gift and she had the insatiable urge to rip it open. She went for a slightly more dignified route and carefully unwrapped her gift.

It was the expensive and rare book she had had her eye on in Flourish and Blott's. How did he know! She had wanted to read this book for ages. Hogwarts didn't even have a copy! The History of Changing History: Time Travel at Its Best and Worst by Auda Thyme. She opened to the title page. In a familiar hand was this inscription.

To my Hermione. Happy birthday. Love, R.

"What's she doing?"

"Hush up! You're on my foot!" Harry hissed back.

"He got her book. Big surprise. So did we." Ron bit back at him.

"If she catches us.." Harry said mencingly.

"What? We have no rights in the library?"

"You're stupid, you know that?"

"I only learned from the best, mate."

"Is she crying?" Harry said suddenly.

"A galleon says she's already read it."

"Is she happy?" Harry's curiosity was going to get him killed one day. He knew it. But he just couldn't help himself sometimes.

"Would you quit this? You made me leave breakfast to watch my bird cry over a book! Let's go. She's fine."

"Ruddy good boyfriend you are," Harry mumbled as he assented and walked away with Ron.

Remus J. Lupin sat his bunk all night playing with a balled up pair of socks. He couldn't bare to be down at the festivities for Hermione's birthday. He hated the fake cordialness, the way she shunned him. He hated it. Besides, who would want to see Ron hang off her all night? No, Remus J. Lupin thought that playing with a pair of socks was loads more fun.

Neville came in at about ten that night. He was laughing and happy, positively glowing from butterbeer and something else Remus just couldn't mark. "I did it, Ro." Remus sat up to show full attention to his friend. He really wasn't interested in what Neville did but he could at least feign that he cared. "I did it."

"Did what, Nev?"

"I asked Mary Anne to come to Hermione's party tonight. I-, I-, I-"

"Spit it out, man!"

"I kissed her!" Neville was all aglow and Remus couldn't feel any sicker.

"Well? Was it all your little dreams wrapped up in one?" he said in a mildly disinterested voice.

"Yes! She was perfect! She smells of plants and dirt and I wouldn't have it any other way. And the best part is she liked it! She didn't push me away or run or anything. If you want to hear the truth, she was the one who kissed me the second time."

"I'm so happy for you, Neville." It was a good thing Neville was wrapped in the throws of happiness otherwise he probably would have heard Remus' evident disgust.

"Night, mate!"

"Night," he grumbled before throwing himself back on the bed. This is going to be harder than I thought.

AN: Well, what do you think? Oh, and did anyone get what the author's name was? Auda Thyme (Outta Time) I thought it was mildly clever. Well, here you are dearies! Hope you enjoyed!

P.S. I don't buy into that whole 'Time Turner made her older than she really was' deal. I just assumed she was 18 because I had heard she was a whole year older than Harry, so if that's wrong, please tell me.

All questions, suggestions, flames and outpourings of love are accepted here!