Chapter Nineteen: What Does Every Fifteen Year Old Boy Want?

Summary: Nineteenth chapter. Thirty to go. That about sums it up.

The week following Harry's illness Remus Lupin came downstairs to find his old friend sitting with his chin resting on his hands as he stared blankly over the surface of the table.

Sitting next to him, Remus waved a hand in front of him. "Sirius?"

Sirius seemed to snap suddenly out of some deep thought as he pulled himself up. "What? Oh, morning, Remus."

"Well, I'm not sure one of us is entirely awake."

"Then go back to bed. Arabella won't mind."

"I was referring to you." Lupin stated with a look of annoyance. "You looked like you were a million miles away just now. I don't think you even heard me come in."

Sirius shook his head. "I didn't, to tell you the truth. And I wish I was a million miles away. Be safer for me."

"How's that?"

"The past several days all I've been able to think about was what to get Harry for his birthday."

"His birthday!" Lupin exclaimed excitedly. "When is that?"

"Three days away." Sirius replied dismally. "And I haven't been able to think of a single thing."

Just then a bright and cheerful Arabella breezed into the kitchen. "Good morning." She said brightly.

Lupin barely suppressed a laugh as Sirius fell face forward on the table with a groan.

"Don't mind him, Remus." Arabella stated in reply to Sirius display. "He's not a morning person.

"Never was that I recall." Remus agreed.

"So," she asked, offered them each a glass of orange juice, "what we're we talking about?"

"It would seem Harry's godfather is at a lose of what to get his godson for his birthday." Lupin offered before Sirius could stop him. The comment earned him a stern look from Sirius.

Arabella practically ran back over to the table, leaning over Sirius, who had dropped his head back on it.

"Sirius!" She hissed in a whisper. "You still haven't gotten him anything? We talked about this when Harry first moved in! You said you had an idea. Something for us to give him together as his godparents."

"Because you weren't going to leave me alone until I said so." Sirius replied in dismay.

"But his birthday is in three days!" Arabella cried sharply. "How are you going to get him something in time when you haven't even come up with an idea of what to get him?"

Sirius groaned again as Lupin gently patted his back.

"Cheer up, Sirius." He said happily. "It's not all that bad. You just have to think about it for a minute."

Sirius raised his head and glared across the table at his friend. "I've been thinking about it for weeks!" He growled at Lupin.

"And you see what's that's got him." Arabella stated from across the kitchen.

Sirius turned his glare to her, but Lupin quickly prompted his attention back with a light slap on the shoulder.

"Look, it's very simple, Padfoot." He said. "How old is Harry going to be? Fifteen?"

Sirius nodded.

"Excellent. Makes it all the easier."

"Easier?" Sirius asked doubtfully.

"Yes. Just think," Lupin stated, "what does every fifteen year old boy want?"

Sirius thought for a moment. As Lupin watched, his expression changed to one of sudden inspiration, but then just as abruptly changed as Sirius furrowed his brow. "I can't buy him a girl, can I?" He asked Lupin. "I mean, that's still illegal, right?"

Lupin solidly thumped him on the forehead. "Idiot! What did you have when you were fifteen that you loved more than anything else in the world?"

"'Bella. But I told you, I think that's still...."

A sharp, short laugh cut Sirius short. "Excuuuuse me," Arabella put in sarcastically. "You....I'm sorry, James didn't asked me out for you until our sixth year. You were sixteen when I first went out with you."

"At fifteen I was still shy, Arabella." Sirius replied.

"Ha! You've never been shy with women a day in your life. I'd be willing to bet you winked at the nurse the day you were born."

"Have to ask my Mum. I wouldn't remember. But I remember you from fifteen, Arabella Figg. I was simply admiring you from afar, that's all."

"Oh. I see. Then you must have had to look around Candi Miller to do it, since at the time, as I recall, she was the one perched on your...lap."

"Look," Lupin broke in. "Try again. What did you have at fifteen that you loved?"

"'Bella." Sirius replied in an undertone.

Another solid thump.

"If you're not going to take this seriously, then I'm not going to help."

Sirius settled into thought for a few minutes. But suddenly the look of inspiration came across his face again.

"Moony!" He stated ecstatically. "You're a genius!"

Lupin leaned back in his chair with a pleased smile. "My parents always thought so."

Arabella glanced back over at the table just in time to see Sirius getting up, pulling Lupin with him.

"Sirius?" She asked. "Where are you going?"

"To get Harry's present." Sirius replied. "Remus is going with me to help." He added, then quickly transformed into Snuffles and bounded out toward the livingroom fireplace.

Arabella started to protest, but Lupin held a hand up.

"Arabella, I'll look after him. Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble. Don't worry."

Arabella sighed to herself as she listened to Snuffles barking excitedly at Lupin, who was doing his best to quiet him. She heard the fire crackle twice, then quiet back down.

Sirius and Remus returned some five hours later to a very worried Arabella.

"Where were you?" She immediately began assaulting them with questions as they came back into the house through the kitchen door that led to the garage. "You've been gone for hours! I thought something happened! I thought you'd been caught! Why didn't you tell me how long you were going to be gone?"
Remus looked Arabella over then turned to Sirius. "A typical hysterical female."

The phrase worked it's usual magic on Arabella. She stopped in mid-sentence and turned a heated stare on Remus. "A what?" She hissed.

Remus waved his hands in front of him. "Oh, no. I value my life. I refuse to repeat that."

"Well, I don't." Sirius answered, always pleased to see the reaction the phrase got out of Arabella. "He called you a typical hysterical female."

"A typical hysterical female?" Arabella repeated slowly, punctuating each word. "Because I allowed myself to get worried over two hopeless idiots, getting into who knows what, that they couldn't get themselves out of to save their lives? And for this I am accused of being a typical hysterical female." Arabella finished, again punctuating each of the last three words.

"Well, it wasn't for nothing." Sirius explained enthusiastically. "We found Harry his birthday present."

Arabella crossed her arms, looking skeptical. "Really? And exactly what did you decide on?"

Sirius grabbed her arm and pulled her after him towards the door they had just come in. "Come and see!" He cried excitedly. "You're going to love it!"

Remus followed closely behind, not wanting to miss out on Arabella's reaction to the gift.

Out in the garage, Sirius pulled Arabella to the back section. Sitting there parked neatly next to his own transportation, was a shining, new motorcycle with green trim.

Arabella's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open, her whole body going rigid.

"Well," Remus offered, looking at Arabella, "she's either stunned or going catatonic."

"I'm voting for catatonic." Sirius replied, resting his gaze on the new bike. "Merlin's beard! It's a beautiful sight! And I have you to thank for it, Moony. I'd have never thought of this on my own."

"Glad to be of help." Remus replied, joining Sirius in his admiration of the bike.

Standing in front of them, Arabella seemed to have suddenly found her voice. "That's...that's...that's a motorcycle!" She exclaimed.

Remus turned to Sirius. "That's always a good sign. People coming out of comas. They can recognize familiar objects."

Arabella suddenly spun around and grabbed two fistfuls of Sirius' robes. "That's a motorcycle!" She nearly screamed at him.

"Yes." Sirius replied, giving her a quizzical look.

"You can't give a fifteen year old boy a motorcycle!" Arabella screamed. "Have you lost your mind completely!"

"But 'Bella," Sirius pleaded, "it's the perfect gift. Just what every fifteen year old boy wants for his birthday."
"Sirius Orion Black! You are not giving your godson a motorcycle for his birthday!"

"Why not?"

Arabella seemed very close to losing her control completely. "He's fifteen years old!"

Sirius considered the statement, then shook his head. "I'm missing something here. That's exactly the reason I want to give it to him."

"He can't even drive." Arabella stated, calming down a little. "What in the name of heaven were you thinking?"

"Well," Sirius muttered, looking sheepishly at the ground, "it was Remus' idea."

Remus suddenly glanced at his watch. "Merlin's Bread!" He exclaimed "Look at the time. I'm late."

Arabella pointed a threatening finger at him. "If your body disappears I swear I'll see to it that it apparates in pieces at your destination." She promised.

Remus froze.

"What were you thinking?" Arabella repeated to him, but in a slightly calmer voice than she'd used with Sirius. "Remus, I depend on you to be the voice of reason. To talk him out of things like this. Not suggest them!" She added in a slightly higher tone.
"Seemed like a good idea at the time." Remus replied. "Sirius needed an idea. Harry needed a present. Problem solved."

"But a motorcycle?" Arabella seemed close to complete frustration that neither of the two men seemed to see a problem with the present.

"'Bella," Sirius offered hopefully, "he's going to absolutely love it. It'll be from both of us, hey? His first gift from both his godparents. It had to be something extra special, didn't it?"

"Fine. Why didn't you just buy him a car then?"

Sirius quickly looked at the ceiling.

Arabella sighed as she turned to Remus, who was studying the floor with a great deal of interest. "Why didn't we buy him a car?" She asked.

"Couldn't find a green one." Remus muttered quietly.

Arabella took a very deep breath and let it out very slowly. "Fine." She said again. "He can have the blasted thing. But!" She stated quickly, cutting short Sirius' cry of triumph. "There are provisions."

"Provisions?" Sirius asked.

"Compromises." Remus translated.

Sirius looked defiant. "Like what?"

"He can't ride it until he's sixteen."

"What?"

"Not alone!" Arabella clarified. "He can use it if you or I go with him. Well...you. Can't abide the things myself."

"You loved my motorcycle." Sirius grinned wickedly at her.

"Wrong." Arabella replied. "I 'loved' you. I hated that bike. You were just a package deal, that's all."

Sirius looked crestfallen. "You hated my motorcycle? That bike is a part of me, Arabella. How could you hate it?"

"With every once of my being, thank you."

"Well, you wait and see. Harry'll love it. Every boy loves a motorcycle."

Arabella continued to eye the bike nervously as Sirius threw a cover over it. Pausing for a moment more, she finally followed them back into the house.

The day before Harry's birthday Arabella was hard at work in the kitchen while Sirius and Lupin kept Harry busy outside doing various work in the yard. She had spent several days before pouring over different recipes for cakes, looking for one she thought Harry would especially like that didn't appear beyond her cooking skills. Late in the evening she finally settled on one, which she now stood staring at the results of with a severe look of disappointment. The only thing that looked right about it was that it was suppose to be chocolate and the color was brown. Aside from that it was lopsided, the batter had tasted more like bread dough than cake, and, for a three layer cake, it was only an inch high.

Arabella dismally looked up at the clock. Sirius and Lupin had managed to keep Harry out of the house for the past three hours. She was sure they couldn't keep it up much longer. There was only so much yard to tend to.

Looking about to make sure no one had come into the kitchen, Arabella slipped her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at the cake. She spoke a few words and immediately the cake transformed into a confectioner's delight that would have made the most professional pastry chef green with envy. White icing cover the entire cake in an ornamental pattern, with artistic swirls around the edges. Bright green leaves of confection fanned out across the upper right side and majestically swooped down the side and across the bottom, covered throughout with small, delicate red roses, carefully sculpted out of the same tempting confection as the leaves. Written across the top of the cake, attractively positioned next to the sweeping floral creations, was 'Happy Birthday, Harry' in large green letters.

Arabella smiled at her creation.

"Enough frickin' sugar in it to put a diabetic in a coma, I'm sure." She sighed contentedly. "He'll love it."

"Now I just know I didn't see the great muggle chef Arabella Figg using a wand to conjure that cake."

Arabella jumped as she spun about. She stood with her mouth open, staring at Sirius, who was leaning against the doorway, smiling at her with a devious grin. But Arabella couldn't think of a word to say in her defense. Instead she simply turned her back on him, going back to staring at the cake, but with a great deal less satisfaction than before.

Sirius wrapped his arms about her from behind, laying his head on her shoulder.

"What's the matter, 'Bella? Wrong flavor?"

Arabella sighed quietly, still staring at the cake.

"You're right." She admitted miserably. "I spent three hours making Harry a cake and I ended up just conjuring one up instead."

"So what was wrong with the one you made before?"

"I've never tried to make a cake before, Sirius. And I shouldn't have even bothered trying." Arabella replied, her disappointment in the outcome still clearly evident in her tone. "It came out horrible. It's just....it's his birthday, Sirius. His fifteenth birthday. His first birthday with us." She sighed again. "I just want it to be perfect."

Sirius hugged her a little tighter. "So why won't it be?"

Arabella gestured to the cake. "Just look at it, Sirius."

Sirius looked the confectionary masterpiece over. "'Bella, it's beautiful. What's wrong with it?"

"Sirius, he'll know I didn't bake that." Arabella pulled out of his embrace and walked over to the table, dropping into a chair. "I wanted to make him his first birthday cake." She stated dismally, leaning over the table. "And I couldn't even do that. And now I have no idea what to even make him for his dinner beforehand."

Sirius sat down at the table next to her, resting a hand on her arm. "'Bella, Harry doesn't care about where the cake came from. And I honestly doubt he'd care if you ordered out for Chinese. What's going to make this birthday special for him is that he's spending it with you. With his godmother...for the very first time. He's not going to bother that much about where the food came from, I promise you. Whether it came from your muggle oven or the end of your wand, all Harry's going to care about is that it came from you."

Arabella favored him with a small smile, then leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder. "Thank you , Sirius. It helps to hear someone say it."

Sirius kissed her head. "Your very welcome, 'Bella. Now just believe it, will you? The day will be perfect. You'll see. We still have time to make plans for what to do."

Arabella suddenly jumped as the back door opened. Spinning about she pointed her wand at the cake and spoke a few words. The cake suddenly disappeared. She was frantically trying to remember a quick cleaning spell when the array of pots and pans from her original attempt disappeared and the dusting of flour all over the kitchen vanished.

Arabella turned to a very smug looking Sirius, who was lazily waving his wand back and forth in front of him.

"See," he stated with a pleased smile, "a man who can do dishes and clean up. What more could you want?"

Arabella quickly hugged him. "Absolutely nothing." She said as she gave him an affectionate squeeze.

"See! What did I tell you?" Harry stated, coming into the kitchen with Lupin. "Every time I walk into a room I never know what I'll see."

Lupin waved it off. "They were the same way at school, Harry. Most of us got our education in the subject matter just from watching them."

Harry suspiciously sniffed the air. "I smell something." He stated.

Arabella looked up nervously. "Ummmm.....I was trying a new recipe, Harry." She lied convincingly. "But it didn't work out. So I threw it out."

Harry frowned. "It didn't work out? It smells great, Arabella. Why'd you throw it out?"

"Burnt it." She said quickly.

"Doesn't smell burnt."

"Well, then you should have smelled it before I burned it. It was even better. Now," she added, dropping the subject suddenly, "did you three get done with the garden?"

"Just finished up." Lupin replied, checking his watch. "And just in time too. I have to get back to the castle. Still lots to do there, I'm afraid."

"How are things going there, Remus?" Arabella asked.

"We've managed to contact most of the people on Dumbledore's list. Should have them all by the end of the week. So, I best be getting back to it."

"You're still coming tomorrow?" Arabella asked.

"Won't miss it." Lupin smiled, then disapparated.

Arabella quickly turned to Harry. "Are you ready for tomorrow, Harry?" She asked with an enthusiastic smile, brushing a bit of damp hair off his forehead. "Such a big day. My little godson's turning fifteen."

Harry gave Sirius a worried stare. "She not planning anything....big, right?" he asked his godfather.
Sirius shrugged as he picked up the paper. "I made her send the Bouncing Beliskas Brothers and their sixteen prancing ponies back. What more do you want?"

Harry groaned as he cast a weary eye on his godmother.

Arabella gave him a well-practiced smile. "I promised nothing big, Harry. Just like you asked."

"I'm just as happy to spend the day with you and Sirius, Arabella. Honest. You don't need to make a big deal out of it. No one ever has." He added the last part as he headed out of the kitchen, a definite melancholy in his tone.

Arabella listened to him climb the stairs. A smile crept across her face as she stared after him. "Well then," she replied softly. "it's about time someone did."