Hermione's Birthday.
Hello! So, as today is September 19th, Hermione's canonical birthday, I figured I'd do something special! Happy 41st birthday, Hermione! This will not take place in the Fragmented universe, so think of this as what would've happened if Ron hadn't been a total idiot and Hermione hadn't kept the Time Turner. I'm not sure if I'll change Hermione's date of birth in Fragmented, but we'll see!
"Hermione! Come back! You have to get ready! The party's in an hour!" Ginny whinged, rushing after me as I sped down the hallway.
"Ginny, no. I'm not going to get all dressed up just to have Fred and George dump something on me! You do remember what they did to me last year, right?! It took me four hours to get all the sticky pink feathers off of everything I bloody own!" I shouted, turning to face her.
"Please, Hermione? Harry will be so dejected. He was so excited to surprise you! You're not even supposed to know about it, you're bloody lucky I told you!" She whined, tugging my hand towards her. I sighed, thinking of Harry's green eyes swimming with disappointment.
"…Fine! But if the dress you're putting me in is anywhere above the knee, I'll hex you!" I said, waving my wand as threateningly as I could. Ginny rolled her eyes and pulled me back up to her dorm.
I begrudgingly trudged behind her, mumbling about how unfair it was.
"C'mon, you ungrateful arse! I'm going to make you beautiful!" Ginny laughed, waving an arm around airily.
"I'll try not to take offense to that." I retorted dryly. She snorted and shoved open her door. I gasped at all the dresses thrown around the room.
"I was thinking about this one," She started, picking up an unbelievably tiny blue dress.
"No! Absolutely fucking not!" I screeched. Ginny pressed her lips together, obviously trying not to laugh.
On it went, her waving around bright, short dresses that left little to the imagination and me smacking them out of her hand without a word. We finally settled on a chiffon purple tinted gray dress that fell just below my knee. It was long sleeved, with an illusion neckline covered in carefully stitched leaves, flowers and vines that weaved down my arms
"Oh, Hermione, it's fucking stunning!" Ginny exclaimed. I rolled my eyes fondly.
"Of course, you only think it is because you bought it!" I snorted, running a hand down the skirt. Ginny carefully crafted a dark makeup look with a smoky eye and burgundy lipstick. We tied it off with some silver pumps.
"Wow, Gin. I look really good!" I laughed, watching Ginny pull on a dull olive-green dress and some black heels.
"Yes, you do. What about me, though?" She asked anxiously, some of her self-confidence fading. I rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Gorgeous!" I whispered, smiling goofily at her. She giggled and arranged my curls carefully. She applied her own make up and ran out the door. I sighed and followed her.
"Remember, act surprised!" She whispered as she blindfolded me. I snorted again but nodded all the same. We ran up to the seventh-floor corridor, and over to the Room of Requirement. I looked at Ginny nervously.
"You said Ron wasn't coming, right?" I whispered, shifting my weight from foot to foot. Ginny smacked my arm.
"Stop fidgeting! He doesn't even know today's your birthday." She said, scowling at the mention of her brother. Ron and I had tentatively started dating after he broke up with Lavender, but I quickly realized it wasn't working after our third consecutive fight over the span of half an hour. The breakup had been bad, and I vowed never to speak to him again.
"Merlin, okay!" I rolled my eyes, before running my hand down the chiffon skirt. Ginny smacked my hand.
"Abuse!" I whimpered. Ginny silenced me with a look and pushed open the door. I removed the blindfold. I didn't have to fake surprise as I walked in, amazed to see nearly every non-Slytherin in our year laughing and talking on multi-coloured bean bags and red couches.
"Surprise!" They all shouted, over the Weird Sisters music blaring out of a Wizarding Wireless Radio. I laughed and threw my hands up, blushing. Everybody laughed and got up to congratulate me on my sixteenth birthday. I smiled at Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones and a pompous Ernie Macmillan. Next, Cho Chang, Lisa Turpin and Luna greeted me. I laughed as Luna handed me a book boldly titled 'SO YOU HAVE WRACKSPURTS?'.
"I thought you might want to rid yourself of the ones Ron left behind!" She said serenely before floating off. I snorted as Harry came over, his hair a mess and glasses slightly askew.
"Wow, Hermione. How did Ginny get you into that dress?" He asked, placing an arm around my shoulder and side-hugging me. I shrugged, lying quickly.
"She told me I was going to meet Miranda Goshawk as a birthday present from McGonagall." I pouted. Harry laughed and handed me a heavy stack of books.
I couldn't help the delighted gasp I emitted as I read through the titles. Powerful Witches Through the Ages, Muggle-Borns Who Made It, Muggle Wars in Grindelwald's Time and Dueling Tips were just a few examples.
"Oh, Harry! Thank you!" I sighed, hugging him. He chuckled and chucked my books onto the couch. Before I could shout in outrage, he gestured around me.
"Shoo! Show me you can manage twenty minutes of social interaction and I'll let you retreat to your book cave. I laughed and punched him lightly on the shoulder, heading to the table where the Twins were pouring butterbeer into Muggle red cups. /
"Hermione!" Fred or George exclaimed.
"Happy Birthday."- "And a Happy New Year!" They said over top of each other I laughed and snatched up a cup. I sniffed it suspiciously, looking at them over the rim of the cup. The boys laughed.
"What?! I don't know if you've spiked it with firewhisky or not!" I laughed, grinning. The twins smiled but said nothing. I reached up and smacked them both upside the head.
"Ouch. Gred! She's violent." – "A danger to us all." – "And after all we've done for her. Oh, Forge, what ever will we do?!" – "Go cry over our spiked"- "NOT." – "butterbeer!" They interrupted each other.
I rolled my eyes and walked away, drinking from the presumably spiked cup anyway. I heard whoops behind me, I snorted. I spent the night dancing and catching up with my classmates, enjoying the night as best we could.
We all laughed, ignoring the time or prefects when they said we'd better go. Fred and George doused themselves in firewhisky thoroughly, in the name of ski-ance to find out if their skin would tingle. I laughed at their mispronunciations with Harry. I found that, for tonight, I didn't want to retreat to my books. I enjoyed spending time with my classmates more than I'd realized.
And now, with everyone sleeping in hammocks because we were all to drunk to walk, I know that this is the best night I've had in a long time.
I know, who knew Hermione would be so willing to drink underage!? Give the girl a break, it is her birthday! NOT that I condone underage drinking. But, I mean, what happens in Hogwarts stays at Hogwarts, right? Anyway, byeeeeee!