The next week passed in a blur of activity. Nearly all of Dawn's waking hours were spent in classes, the library researching assignments, her room reading, or practicing spells with Harry and Hermione in the common room. She didn't see much of Buffy or Giles. They seemed to be spending their time with Professor Lupin, giving him as intense a course in training Slayers as she was getting in Magic.

Dawn trudged toward the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. She had just finished another essay for Professor Snape on Wolfsbane Potion in the library and was looking forward to having another meditation session with Harry. They'd been doing it together every night. He said it was really helping with his Occlumency, and it helped relieve Dawn's stress, and clear her mind before tackling the night's pile of homework.

Dawn stopped. She didn't have anything that needed to get done! She had a night free! She couldn't believe it! All of her professors except Snape had given her unusually light assignments to be done for tomorrow, and she'd already finished them all. Dawn began to wonder how she would keep herself busy.

She walked up to the painting of the Fat Lady. "Queerditch Marsh."

The painting swung open. "Happy birthday!" said the Fat Lady.

"Huh?" asked Dawn. She stepped through into the common room.

"Happy Birthday!" cried half a dozen voices.

Dawn looked around the common room. Buffy and Giles and Harry and Hermione were there, and so were Professors Lupin, McGonagall, Hagrid and Flitwick. She saw a banner hanging across the room. 'Happy Birthday Dawn!'

"Oh-my-god! I totally forgot!"

"Lucky for you, I didn't." Buffy came forward and gave Dawn a hug. "Happy Seventeen Little Sis!"

"Oh my god!" cried Dawn. "I can't believe this!" The Gryffindor common room was fully decorated. She hadn't noticed before, but Professor Snape was there too, looking miserable, and trying to hide in a corner. "This is great!"

Dinner that night consisted entirely of American junk food. All the things that Dawn had been missing since they had come to Britain a couple of months ago. She didn't know how they managed it but the House Elves had somehow come up with hamburgers that tasted just like she remembered Doublemeat Medleys tasting. There had been a time when she'd wished that she would never eat another one of those things again, but tonight they were delicious, and the meal was capped off with a double chocolate cake with fudge icing.

Most of the professors left after dinner, declaring that they had work to get done. Then came the presents. Dawn was impressed by the size of the pile. There were several small packages all piled on top of one large one.

Dawn started with the top package. She looked at the card and saw it was from Harry and Hermione. She unwrapped it and discovered a box of Honeyduke's chocolate. "Thanks guys!"

"We would have gotten you something better, but we were working on kinda short notice," said Hermione.

"No, this is great!" said Dawn. "You can never have too much chocolate!"

The next present she opened was from Buffy. It was a leather jacket, similar to the one Dawn had stolen for Buffy a couple of years ago. A package from Willow revealed a book of spells. Dawn couldn't help wondering how it would compare with what she'd been learning.

There was a roughly wrapped present from Hagrid. Dawn opened it up and found a rock cake that Hagrid proudly declared he had made himself. Dawn smiled at him, and set it aside. "Thank you! I'll save it for later. I'm still stuffed from dinner!"

The big package on the bottom had a tag on it that said it was from Xander, Faith and Andrew. Dawn couldn't help wondering what that trio could have gone together on to get her. She ripped off the wrapping paper and discovered a finely crafted wooden chest. She knew that Xander must have made it. She opened it up and found Andrew and Faith's gifts inside, each one separately wrapped. She opened the one from Andrew first and found a box set of the Star Trek movies on DVD. "I have got to get my computer working!"

Dawn pulled the box from Faith out of Xander's chest and opened it. "Oh! My! God!" She held up a pair of black leather pants.

"Remind me to kick Faith's ass, next time I see her," said Buffy.

"No!" said Dawn. "These are great!"

"You have to try them on!" said Hermione.

"You're right!" Dawn took the pants and ran off up the stairs to her room.

Hermione followed her. Dawn was already out of her jeans when she got there. One thing about sharing a house with twenty other girls: Dawn had lost all of her inhibitions about changing clothes when there were other girls about. Hermione didn't have many herself, having spent most of her life since she was eleven sharing a room with three other girls.

Dawn pulled on the leather pants. They fit pretty well, Faith had obviously talked to Buffy about Dawn's measurements. She turned herself around for Hermione to inspect them. "What do you think?"

"Almost perfect." said Hermione. "They just need a little adjustment." She pointed her wand at Dawn. "Conformus!"

"Ooh!" Dawn felt her pants squirm around her.

"There!" said Hermione. "Perfect."

Dawn's pants now fit like a second layer of skin. She could barely feel them as she moved around their room. She looked at herself in a mirror. She turned to check out her ass. There was still one tiny flaw.

Dawn peeled the pants off herself, along with her panties. She went to her underwear drawer and found the thong she had packed. She pulled it on, followed by the pants. She spun in front of Hermione. "What do you think?"

"I think that Harry won't be able to speak," said Hermione.

Dawn pulled on her black boots with the two inch heels before she went back downstairs. Hermione was right. Harry was speechless when he saw her again. She sat back down in a chair across from him near the fire and stretched out her legs. She rested her boot heels on the table between them. "So when's your birthday?" she asked.

Harry managed to pull his eyes off her legs. "Oh, er, July 31. It was a couple of days before we first met. Professor Lupin had just rescued me from the Dursleys that morning."

"Is it really that bad with them?"

"It's that bad," said Harry. "They hate the idea of magic, and anything magical, and they hate me. Plus my cousin Dudley is a big bully, and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Pentunia think he's a perfect little darling who can do no wrong." Harry smiled. "Maybe that will change. He got arrested for vandalism a few weeks ago. Maybe he'll spend the next year at St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys."

"Huh?" asked Dawn.

"They couldn't admit that I go to a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, so they tell everyone that I go to St. Brutus's."

Harry looked out the window. "It's properly dark now." He got up from his seat, and clapped for attention. "Come on everyone! There's one more surprise we've got for Dawn. It's outside!"

Dawn got up too. "What is it?"

"It's a surprise," said Hermione. "We have to go outside for it. I don't think the teachers will be quite so forgiving if we do it inside as they were last time."

"Huh?"

Harry picked up Dawn's new jacket and gave it to her. "Just come on!"

Harry and Hermione led everyone out of the common room and down through the castle. They left through the main doors, and went down across the lawn, toward the cliff overlooking the lake.

"Wait here," said Harry. Everyone stopped. He took out his wand and aimed it out across the water. "Incendere!"

Fireworks erupted from the far side of the lake. Rockets flew into the sky and exploded, becoming brilliant dragons in all the colours of the rainbow that flew around the castle. Fountains of fire screamed skyward, lighting up the sky, and reflecting in the water. More rockets took off to explode overhead and send down streamers of fire.

Dawn squealed with delight, and jumped up and down and applauded each new explosion. She wasn't the only one, though she was by far the most enthusiastic observer. Everyone was 'Eww'ing and 'Aww'ing at the explosions. She watched one of the fire dragons swoop down past the front entrance to the castle and saw that more people were coming out to see the show. Another flash of light showed that even the House Elves had taken a break to come and watch.

"This is great!" Dawn yelled to Harry over the noise.

"I had Fred and George send up a Deflagration Deluxe Set!" yelled Harry.

"You must send them my compliments," said a soft voice on the other side of Harry, that was still somehow audible over the din. He looked and saw that Professor Dumbledore had joined them. "I was most disappointed that I didn't get to see their display last year."

The fireworks went on for another fifteen minutes before they started to subside. New rockets and streamers of fire stopped erupting, and the noise level dropped. The fires burning across the sky slowly faded, until there just one lone dragon flying over the lake. It exploded, raining sparks down onto the water.

Everyone applauded the show, and then in ones and twos, they started moving back toward the castle. Soon Dawn and Harry were the only ones left there in the dark.

"Thank you," said Dawn softly. "That was wonderful."

"You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed them."

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

Dawn didn't say anything. She gently pulled Harry toward her and kissed him. The kiss went on for a long time. Harry's arms went around her, pulling her closer.

When the kiss finally ended they continued to stand together holding each other. "Hmm," Dawn purred against him. "That was wonderful too."

"Very wonderful," said Harry.

"I'd love to continue, but I've got Potions at eight tomorrow morning."

"I guess that means we should get back inside."

"I guess."

Harry let go of Dawn and started to pull away a bit. She didn't let him get totally free from her. She kept one arm around his waist as they started back to the castle. Harry rested his arm across her shoulder.

They were still holding each other when they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. They separated a bit as they entered the common room, but they were still holding hands. There was no one there. The fire had burned down, and the House Elves had already cleaned up from the party.

"Well, goodnight," said Harry. "I'll see you in the morning."

Dawn pulled Harry to her and kissed him again. "Goodnight Harry. Thank you for a wonderful birthday." They separated, and moved toward the stairways on opposite sides of the common room. Dawn stopped when she got to the base of the stairs and looked back. She saw Harry looking at her, with a silly grin on his face. She grinned back, and waved goodnight again before she went up to her room.

Buffy and Hermione were in their pajamas, and sitting on their beds when Dawn came into the room. "Well?" asked Buffy.

"Well what?" asked Dawn.

"Is he a good kisser?" asked Hermione.

"Will I have to break his arms?" asked Buffy.

"Yes, and no!" Dawn started to get undressed. "He's a wonderful kisser, and I will hurt you if you hurt Harry."

Hermione and Buffy grilled Dawn while she got changed into her pajamas. They wanted details. They seemed rather disappointed by what Dawn was willing to tell them. Dawn finally got them to shut up by reminding them that she and Hermione had four hours of Potions in the morning. She got into her bed, and the candles extinguished themselves.

Dawn lay awake in her bed for a while, remembering the feel of Harry's lips on her own, and his arms around her. She was still smiling when she finally faded off to sleep.



A Note on Dawn's Birthday

Dawn's birthday has never been given in Buffy, but all indications are that it takes place during the summer. Whenever her age has been mentioned during a season it has been the same: fourteen in season five, fifteen in season six, and sixteen in season seven.

I always figured that the monks picked the day they actually made Dawn as her birthday, which would put it in mid-to-late August.