It Began With a Shopping Trip Chapter 14 - Happy Birthday, a harry potter fanfic

Tuesday 3rd November

Sirius hadn't expected to spend his seventeenth birthday sulking but since making his stupid, stupid deal with Lily Evans, James had been floating on cloud nine and promptly cancelled all the pranks they'd planned. Including the seventeen, amazing pranks planned in celebration of Sirius's birthday.

James didn't want to prank cos of Evans - not great but fine. But why did Evans have to include all of them in her deal! It just wasn't fair. On top of that, Mr and Mrs Evans had replied the previous night saying no. If they'd just said yes, then this deal would have void and Sirius could have pranked to his heart's desire!

"Oh come on Padfoot, quit whining!" James grumbled before snickering. "Whining, get it? Cos you're a dog."

Peter laughed but Remus just looked at the ceiling as if praying for help.

"Merlin help me. I don't know why I bother staying friends with you lot." He groaned.

"Cos you love us Moony!" James cheered, almost spilling his pumpkin juice over.

A swoop of owls entered the Great Hall, a small flock flying straight towards Sirius. Salazar, his mother's distinctive owl holding a howler at the forefront.

"Great," Sirius groaned. "Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse!" He banged his head against the table as the howler dropped on the table and lit up on fire.

"Shame of my blood!" His mother's voice screamed loudly. "Blood traitor who dares hold the title of Head of House Black–"

Sirius cast a blasting curse at the howler and watched in satisfaction as the howler burst into pieces.

"Mr Black!" Minerva McGonagall immediately chastised though Sirius could tell this was half-hearted. "One point from Gryffindor for casting a blasting curse in front the Great Hall."

Salazar hooted disdainfully at him and dropped another letter in front of him before flying to the Slytherin table where Regulus immediately petted the owl as Salazar preened. Sirius glared at his mother's owl and pocketed his father's letter to read later.

The owls still waiting patiently hooted, reminding him of their presence. Sirius sighed as he started relieving them of their burdens and they flew off.

Sirius stared at the small pile of wrapped presents and letters. He was not in the mood to celebrate his birthday.

"Come on Padfoot," James nudged his shoulder. "Open mine!"

Sirius took the package James was pointing to (one of the packages that had been just delivered) and opened it.

"Haircare products?" Sirius said disbelievingly. "That's what you got me for my seventeenth birthday?"

"You were running out!" James replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's a practical gift!"

Remus spat out his tea as he roared in laughter. "A practical gift?" He repeated. "Please tell me you're pulling Sirius's leg!"

Sirius grinned. "A prank!" He cheered. "Thank Merlin."

James flushed red. "Can't prank remember," he muttered.

"So, you seri- actually got him hair care products?" Remus repeated, in complete disbelief.

"Who are you and where is Prongs?" Peter asked.

Sirius ripped open another gift, this time from his adoptive parents. There was a small box.

"Did they…" Sirius started but he couldn't finish his sentence, opening the box. There was a black pocketwatch inside.

"It's traditional isn't it." James muttered quietly, "Of course they'd get you one."

Sirius took it. It was in the same style all pocketwatches gifted in the House of Black were, with the constellation with his namesake star on the front with the Black Family crest.

"Turn it around," James said.

Sirius did and found his name engraved on the back, Sirius Orion Potter Black, alongside the Potter Family crest on the back. The pocket watch was unusually designed so that he could open it either way. This side, with the Potter Family crest, could be the front or the back, depending on how he used it, the enchantments ensuring that the actual clock would switch depending on which side he was opening it. The pocketwatch was black (as were all House Black pocketwatches) and the Black Family crest was silver while the Potter crest was golden.

Sirius cleared his throat, feeling a little overwhelmed by this gesture. He was a Black, first, and always would be one. He'd known that for as long as he could remember, even when Dorea and Charlus Potter had blood adopted him into the family, he'd known he'd always remain a Black first and foremost. He hadn't expected to receive a pocketwatch with anything tying him to the Potters or to get the pocketwatch from them at all. He'd expected his father to get him one that was just like the pocketwatch he had, the one Grandfather had, and so on.

Not one customised like his own. One that was untraditional just as much as it was traditional.

"Open it," James nudged him.

Sirius opened it and grinned. There was a dog on the inside opposite the actual timepiece/ clock (which showed the time and phase of the moon), which looked exactly like his animagus form. In Gryffindor red writing, Padfoot was engraved above the dog.

Sirius tilted the pocketwatch so that Remus and Peter could see it.

"That was my idea. I was going to write," James looked around and leaned in closer before whispering, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good or Mischief Managed but I figured that wasn't a good idea."

The Marauders laughed.

"We did give the map passwords for a reason." Remus joked.

"And we're not changing it!" Peter said, shuddering. "I remember how hard it was to come up with them in the first place."

James laughed. "Good thing I didn't ask them to write that then. Otherwise, we would have had to change it."

Sirius quickly opened the rest of the presents, mostly from his friends and one from Regulus before Remus pestered him into actually eating breakfast before classes led to another boring, day of lessons instead of the absolute chaos they'd planned.

After their lessons, Marlene found the marauders, Alice and a reluctant Lily following her. James's hands immediately flew to his hair, running through it and making his hair even messier than it already was.

"Alright there Evans?" He asked.

"That's fine Jamie, just ignore us," Marlene fake cried as Lily rolled her eyes.

James glared at her. "Don't call me that Marley!"

"Anyway," Remus interrupted, looking at his watch. "We should probably stop blocking the entrance to the common room.

"Good point," Peter said.

They entered the room and the Marauders ushered Sirius to the back of the room. Marlene grabbed Alice and Lily's arm to ensure they followed her there too and Frank, noticing where Alice was, had automatically wandered there with his friends.

Marlene made Peter move (which he reluctantly did after a lot of grumbling) and took the seat closest to Sirius.

"Did you like my present?" She asked.

"What present?" Sirius asked smirking. "The one I opened at breakfast or the one you gave me at lunch."

Marlene elbowed him, glaring. "You're lucky I'm so fond of you and it's your birthday or that would have been a lot harder."

"Fight later, eat cake first!" Alice said cheerfully. A cake appeared on the table around them and the group clustered near Sirius cheered as he blew out the seventeen candles on top of the cake.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent eating far too many sweets, drinking the smuggled butterbeer and firewhiskey Remus and Peter had organised and the great dinner that James had convinced the house elves to provide.

The only thing missing was the pranks, but Sirius supposed he could overlook that so long as they pranked twice as much the following year.

It wasn't until everybody else was asleep in their dormitory that Sirius opened his father's letter. He skimmed over it before shoving it into his trunk.

It wasn't anything of importance. Who cared if Orion had discussed the pocketwatch with Dorea? Not Sirius, that was for sure.

10th November

Emilia loved Potions. They were fascinating and her favourite subject. To her displeasure though, no matter how much hard work they put, Emilia wasn't destined to be great at Potions either. Oh, she could brew the potions in class just fine, knew and understood the theory inside and out…she just didn't have the creativity Lily Evans and Severus Snape had. Or the instinctual aptitude for it either.

So, it wasn't really a surprise when her big plans for adapting Amortentia blew up in her face (literally and multiple times). At first, she'd planned to just brew it and get Lupin and Narcissa to sniff it but then she'd had the amazing idea of making some sort of perfume of Amortentia so that Narcissa would smell it without even realising it! But things didn't go entirely to plan. If only Emilia could get Lily Evans' thoughts on adapting it. Or Snape's. She'd even take Snape's thoughts on it even if she didn't like the wizard.

But Snape would never help her, and Emilia couldn't just ask Lily Evans which meant she was all on her own. She could just go back to her original plan but Narcissa knew her plan for James Potter and Lily Evans and no doubt remembered the exact wording of what Emilia had promised. So that plan wouldn't work either.

So, all Emilia had to do now was find another way for Narcissa and Lupin to smell Amortentia without realising it. That sounded easy enough. Emilia was very good at coming up with new plans.

Friday 29th November

Cedrella Weasley, nee. Black, had invited her sister, Callidora Longbottom, and favourite cousin, Dorea Potter, and her husband to celebrate Bill's first birthday. Molly and Arthur had decided to keep it a small affair in the evening with just family and though Molly hadn't wanted to invite the Potters over, Cedrella had insisted, remembering how insistent and kind her cousin and sister had been after Arthur's elopement.

Fabian and Gideon arrived early directing a pile of floating, brightly coloured presents onto a table and kissing their sister's cheeks.

Bill shrieked with happiness as the twins approached him, picking him up and tossing him in the air.

"Fabion! Gideon! He could get hurt!" Molly shrieked.

"He'll be fine. He's,"

"Half Prewett, after all." They replied, laughing.

"Is Lucretia coming?" Dorea asked curiously.

"No, Aunt Lucy and Uncle Ig are in France." Fabion – or was it Gideon – replied.

"They would have flooed back but Uncle Ig has dinner plans with a business associate tonight." The other Prewett twin said.

"That is a shame," Dorea replied. "Would you like any help Molly?"

Molly shook her head as she carefully, and slowly, put down the cake she'd baked in the centre of the dining table.

"I thought we could cut the cake first while Bill's awake and excited," She smiled, rubbing her stomach. "And then open presents or eat dinner depending on how tired he is."

"That sounds lovely," Cedrella replied.

"Should we cut the cake now?" One of the twins asked, carrying Bill who was squirming and trying to get back to the floor.

"Arthur, if you take Bill from Gideon, you can help Bill cut the cake."

Arthur did this and the guests gathered around the cake. Molly flicked her wand and the candle lit up.

"Blow the candle out, Bill," She smiled.

"Yes, blow it out Bill," Fabion Prewett exaggerated the motion, huffing his cheeks out.

Bill was giggling furiously and practically beaming, seeming to know all the attention was on him.

"Careful there, twin of mine," Gideon laughed. "You look as ridiculous as that dark lord's name. What is it again? Voldemold?"

"Gideon!" Molly scolded half-heartedly, through her own laughter and the others.

"Come on then, Bill," Gideon said. "We're all dying to get some cake. Don't take so long."

"Molly, should I just blow the candle out for him?" Arthur asked. Bill had lost all interest in the cake and candle, laughing at the twin's antics.

"Oh, go on then," Molly said.

Arthur blew out the candle and the group cheered, chimes of 'Happy Birthday Bill' being cried out.

"Do you know Muggles sing a song and make a wish when they blew a candle out?" Arthur asked.

"Let's make,"

"a wish too!" The twins added.

"We wish that,"

"Voldemold, no, wait,"

"Voldemort, he of,"

"stupid names,"

"would die,"

"before our nephew,"

"Fabion Gideon Weasley,"

"No Gideon Fabion twin o– "

"DUCK!" Somebody screamed.

The twins barely ducked in time as a window exploded and a large group of death eaters swarmed in.

"Who dared use our lord's name?" A hooded figure asked.

One of the hooded figures was laughing manically.

"Crucio, crucio and crucio!" The figure cast in a sing song voice.

One of the spells hit Dorea and she fell to the ground screaming. Charlus immediately rushed over to his wife's side to help her.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Fabion Prewett glared at the masked figure, dodging on of her crucios as he cast a stunning spell towards her.

"Ickle Fabion Prewett," Bellatrix giggled manically. "How fun!"

She batted his spell away and it hit a vase which shattered as it fell on the floor. The two continued trading spells while Gideon protecting his brother's back as he traded spells with two of his own opponents.

Gideon swore as a dark purple spell hit the side of his face.

"Everything alright Gid?" Fabion asked breathlessly as he aimed a spell towards Bellatrix's legs and she laughed manically, dancing away.

Gideon continued swearing as he swiped his blood away with one hand and cast with the other.

"Not good," he groaned. "Losing too much blood."

"You recognise it?"

"Nuh uh."

Fabion swore as Gideon fell to his knees, his cheek swollen and still dripping blood. "We need a healer!" Fabion yelled, moving to protect Gideon and fight Bellatrix and the other two unknown death eaters.

Molly tried to rush to her brothers but Cedrella stopped her.

"I'll go, see if I recognise it. You need to hide Molly."

"Arthur has Bill," Molly cried. "I can't leave him."

"Arthur will protect him, you need to protect yourself and the baby first," Cedrella reminded a little harshly.

Molly nodded and Cedrella started to shield Molly on one side as Septimus moved to cover them while he continued casting spells towards his own opponents. The scent of blood, sweat filled Molly's nostrils, her head swimming in dizzying amounts of fear. She swiped her clammy palms against her robes, readjusting her grip on her wand so it wouldn't fall as Cedrella practically dragged her out of the manor. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Molly felt Cedrella's arm fall limp, a scream falling from the older witch's lips more like a howl as she rushed to where her husband was lying unmoving next to other deathly still figures whose faces Molly couldn't see.

"What have we here?" A voice sneered. Molly turned as fast as she could to see a hooded wizard standing in front of her, his wand pointed towards her stomach.

Molly felt her wand fall onto the floor.

"Please," she whimpered.

Across the other side of the room, Arthur's opponent fell to the ground, stunned. Arthur took a quick moment to cast another layer of protective spells on Bill.

"Say goodbye to your wife Weasley!"

Arthur's heart felt like a snake was tightening as a masked figure walked towards him, clutching a trembling injured Molly in front of him, her eyes wide.

Arthur raised his wand, shielding Bill with his body as he asked, "Please let her go. We want no part in this war."

The wizard laughed. "Lucky I'm about to kill you then."

With a flick, he cast a volley of curses towards the figure who threw Molly forward and dodged and cast his own spells back.

Arthur saw Molly fall onto the ground, face first as another spell hit her from somewhere, and he barely managed to duck in time.

One of his cutting spells struck the hood of the masked wizard, slicing it away and Arthur's heart sank as he recognised the masked wizard's pale blonde hair. Lucius Malfoy. The wizard who'd been his friend.

"The baby, Arthur!" Molly screamed in pain before she fell silent.

Arthur stunned Lucius while he scrambled to cover his face again and another masked figure run towards Malfoy, held him and portkeyed away.

The sound of heavy breathing was all that could be heard. Arthur rushed over to Molly's side.

"Mama," Bill said, poking Molly's face and arm before bursting in hysterical tears.

"The floo's still not working." Arthur heard somebody tell him.

"Marius is here."

The voices became an indistinguishable blur after that.

Saturday 30th November

"Well Father wants me married," Emilia told Narcissa as she sat down on the Slytherin table next to her best friend for breakfast.

Narcissa choked on her eggs and heads swivelled around them to watch the usually perfectly composed witch act in such an undignified manner. It took Narcissa a full minute to regain her composure and she glared at the stares until they were redirected and then cast a privacy spell around her before turning to glare at her best friend.

"What in Merlin and Morgana's name, Emilia?"

"Ooh, Merlin and Morgana. I really did rattle you, didn't I! I haven't seen you lose your composure like that since Sirius Black's sorting, and let's be honest, you were terrible at masking your emotions back then."

Narcissa's glare intensified. If looks could kill, Emilia would be dead by now.

"Emilia," She warned.

Emilia sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll give you all the details since you're insisting."

"What happened?"

Emilia filled her own bowl with porridge and spooned a mouthful before replying. "He flooed me just now, got Slughorn's permission and everything of course to do it. Anyway, he wants me married with everything going on."

"The dark lord gaining power?" Narcissa asked. "But the Head of Burke is…well dark."

Emilia smiled grimly. "Yes but I don't think that's reassuring to my father. I think there's some of history based on how my grandfather's been acting. Anyway, Father wants me married regardless of that. You'll never guess who he has in mind!"

"Who? Is it Evan?"

"Evan Rosier!" Emilia laughed. "Your cousin, thank Merlin and Morgana no!"

"Who then?"

"Cygnus Greengrass."

Narcissa blinked in confusion. "But…isn't he…why would…" She trailed off and shook her head.

Emilia smiled wryly. "You heard me. Father wants me married into The Neutrals."

If it wasn't for the large flock of owls that swept into the great hall and conversations fell silent and smiles slipped of faces as the newspaper and letters were opened, perhaps the two would have discussed what this meant further.

The Daily Prophet: Saturday 30th November

MORE UNREST AS WAR LOOMS CLOSER!

By Barnabas Cuffe

Festivities in Weasley Manor were ruined by none other than Voldemort and his death eaters with an attack upon one of the oldest Pureblood families in the country.

Witnesses report that the Manor has been severely damaged.

"It's terrible," one witness, who requested to remain anonymous told us, "I saw that horrid mark above it and felt my heart sink into my knees. I saw the healers approach the manor afterwards though I don't know who was injured."

The deaths of Septimus Weasley, Harfang and Callidora Longbottom have been confirmed and there are rumours of Molly Weasley being severely injured in St Mungos though unconfirmed.