Author's Notes: Yay! I have been told that September 19th is Hermione's birthday, and I know there's a debate about whether she is turning fifteen or sixteen, but for the purposes of this story, she is turning fifteen.

If R/H was sugar and each chapter was a different food, this one's a pixie stick. It didn't start out as being very R/Hish, but it sort of turned out that way. I haven't really focused on it in awhile, so I figured it was okay. You have been warned.

Congrats to new FU members Thom Verdace, Cajun Rogue, Thorn of Blood, Amerikus, and Wiccan Pussykat. Your super long reviews and poems rocked my world. We should all aspire to that kind of greatness. By the way, I totally realize the FU thing said out loud. That was the whole reason for naming it the FU.

Tuesday, 19 September

7:12 a.m.

I am fifteen years old.

I, Hermione Granger, am fifteen years old.

I am no longer fourteen years old, but fifteen years old.

I am now five years away from being twenty years old.

I still don't feel any older.

I can't believe I nearly forgot my own birthday. It was the last thing on my mind yesterday, and I didn't even realize it until I woke up this morning and noticed the date on Parvati's Weird Sisters calendar matched the date of my birth. What kind of a person forgets their own birthday? Mrs. Crick would probably go into some detailed explanation involving my subconscious fear of maturity and accepting the responsibilities that come with my fast-approaching adulthood, but since it is my birthday I really don't want to think about Mrs. Crick.

I should probably get dressed and ready for the day and so on. Hmm, perhaps by turning fifteen I have miraculously grown out of bushy hair…

7:26 a.m.

Nope.

8:37 p.m.

This has actually been one of the best birthdays I've ever had! First of all, this morning all of the elf socks and hats I left in the common room were gone again! I've lost count of the number of house elves I must have already set free!

Ron, Harry, and Ginny were waiting for me in the common room this morning. "Happy birthday, Hermione!" Harry said with a smile.

"Thanks! Actually, I completely forgot this morning," I admitted.

"You forgot your own birthday?" Ron asked, aghast. "How did you forget your own birthday?!"

"Well Ron, I'm subconsciously afraid of maturity," I muttered sarcastically.

Ron knitted his eyebrows together. "What?"

"Never mind."

"You have to open my present first," Ginny insisted, holding out a brightly-wrapped package.

"Oh," I said, blushing, "you all didn't have to get me anything - "

"Oh bollocks, you say that every year. Just open it," Ginny grinned.

Ginny had found this really neat wooden picture frame, which changes shades and types of wood occasionally. This morning it looked like oak, and this afternoon it looked like maple. She put a photograph of her and me at the Burrow last year in it. Surprisingly, it's a very good picture (I am the most unphotogenic person in the world…hmm, unphotogenic may or may not be a word). We're sitting at the kitchen table laughing about something, and neither of us realize someone is taking our picture so it looks very natural. Maybe I only look horrible in other photographs because I always pose for them, and even in wizard pictures I usually just stand there with a fake smile plastered on my face. I can't even remember anyone taking this picture. Maybe it was the twins, when they went through that embarrassing-photo-taking stage.

Harry got me a book entitled Now What? A Hogwarts Student's Guide to Life After OWL's. Ron thought the title was very funny, but it's actually a very useful book about which courses and which NEWT's to take, depending on the field you want to pursue career-wise.

I gave Harry and Ginny quick hugs, and we were about to go down to breakfast when Ginny said, "Just a second, what about Ron's present?"

Ron turned red. "I…left it in my room," he muttered.

"Well, go get it, then," Ginny said impatiently, hands on her hips.

"I'll give it to her later," Ron hissed.

Just then, there was a tap at the window. All three of us looked up to see Viktor's owl, Dragomir, waiting patiently at the window.

"Whose owl is that?" Ron asked immediately.

I walked over to the window to let Dragomir in. "Why don't you guys go down to breakfast? I'll meet you in the Great Hall."

"Whose owl is that?" Ron demanded again.

"Why won't you give Hermione her present, Ron?" Ginny asked sweetly.

Ron glowered at her. "See you at breakfast," he grumbled, following Ginny and Harry out of the portrait hole.

I took the parcel from Dragomir's leg and he immediately flew off again. Poor thing, he was just here a few days ago and he must be exhausted. He didn't even go to the Owlery to rest…anyway, there was a letter from Viktor wishing me a happy birthday, which was very sweet, and then a present.

It's such a thoughtful and neat present…it's a watch, but it's a wizard's watch, of course. It's sort of like the clock in Ron's house, the one with all the Weasley's on it, except there's only one hand on my watch and it represents me. On the outside of the watch, where there's usually numbers there's the names of my classes in tiny gold lettering – Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, etc. Then where the twelve should be it says "Relax!". I have no idea where Viktor found the watch, or if he charmed it himself to adhere to my schedule, but it is one of the neatest presents I've ever gotten and I'm going to send him a letter as soon as I'm finished writing in here to thank him and tell him how thoughtful it was. The watch works perfectly too; when it was time for class the hand immediately moved and pointed towards the class I had to go to, and between classes and at meals it pointed to "Relax!". I showed it to Ginny later and she ooohed and ahhhed about it for a good half hour. Harry and Ron haven't noticed that I'm wearing a new watch. I have a theory that as boys become older, their observational skills deteriorate.

At breakfast, another owl came in with a card from my parents wishing me a happy birthday. When I opened the card, however, a small piece of paper fell out of it. It was a cutting from a Muggle magazine.

"Oh!" I exclaimed in delight. It was a picture of a lovely, Queen-size bed.

Ron glanced over my shoulder. "Your parents got you a picture of a bed for your birthday?" he said skeptically through a mouth full of toast.

"No silly, they bought me the bed!" I said. "I've been wanting a new bed for ages!"

"Yeah, your old one was kind of small," Ron agreed absently.

Harry choked on his pumpkin juice and started shaking with silent laughter.

Ron and I spent the remainder of breakfast avoiding making eye contact with anyone, particularly each other. He must have noticed when he came to get me this summer, but it just came out sounding all wrong…

A lot of people, even people I don't really know all that well, wished me happy birthday today! Lavender and Parvati remembered, which is a first. Ginny's boyfriend Michael wished me a happy birthday, as well as the Ravenclaws in my Arithmancy class and a lot of the other prefects. Even Luna Lovegood said happy birthday, which was strange, because she strikes me as the type of person who would forget her own age, never mind remember someone else's birthday. Oh and Rob, the Head Boy, passed Harry, Ron and I in the halls on our way to Potions. He wished me a happy birthday and winked as he walked by. Ron scowled at him.

"Bighead boy," I swear I heard him mumble as we walked down to Potions.

I also got back my Transfiguration essay and an Arithmancy assignment today, and I got O's on both of them! Even Potions wasn't all that bad today; Snape couldn't ignore the fact that half the Slytherins completely ruined their potions by accidentally adding eye of newt instead of essence of newt. They were too busy gossiping to listen when Snape was giving instructions.

Ha, and then right after Potions, I think Malfoy was bitter about messing up his potion (though it was his own fault) and decided to take it out on us as we were leaving.

"Hey Weasel, found a broom to ride on the Quidditch pitch yet?" he jeered. "Or are you going to be riding something your father found in a Mudblood's closet?"

I was still in a very good mood due to birthday elation and all, so I spun around and said very sweetly, "Hey Malfoy! Shut up!"

I then walked away triumphantly. Ron and Harry sort of stared after me in shock for a few seconds, then hurried after me and fell into step beside me, grinning wildly.

Tally for the year thus far is currently at Us 18; Malfoy 16.

No one must ever know I am keeping track.

Hmm, Ron never did give me his present…not that I care…

10:45 p.m.

Lavender and Parvati are extremely silly sometimes.

So I went down to the common room, just to see if Ron and Harry were there, and if Ron was there and just happened to give me his present, so be it. Ron and Ginny were down there, but not Harry, who had gone to bed early for a change. The three of us chatted for awhile as I worked on my knitting and Ron feverishly worked on the Herbology assignment that is due tomorrow. Ginny decided to go to bed around 10:00, and then it was just Ron and I. We talked about our hatred for Umbridge for awhile, which is always a fun topic, and then Ron abruptly asked, "So did you have a good birthday?"

"Yes," I said decidedly. "Yes, I did."

"You told Malfoy off pretty good today," Ron said with a hint of admiration. I was going to correct his improper grammar, but I figured I should just take the compliment, so I said, "Thanks."

"Er…here," Ron suddenly said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a clumsily wrapped package. He shoved it into my hand. "Happy birthday."

"Oh, thank you!" I said in the tone of one who had completely forgotten that Ron still had to give me his present.

I unwrapped the package, and it was a bracelet. Now it was very thoughtful but…well, it's very…colourful…and…well, to be quite honest, it looks rather gaudy. Firstly, I don't wear jewelry so I don't know what Ron was thinking, and secondly, this bracelet looks like something even Professor Trelawney would frown upon. It's multi-coloured with these large glass stones of varying shapes set in it, and it's very thick and…well… gaudy.

"Oh…it's…very nice, thank you Ron," I said politely.

"You hate it," Ron said, beginning to turn red.

"Of course I don't hate it!" I exclaimed.

Ron looked skeptical. "So…it's okay?"

"Yes, it's very nice," I lied.

I thanked him again and then said goodnight, since it was getting quite late. Lavender and Parvati were already in the dormitory when I came up.

"Oooh, birthday present?" Parvati asked immediately, spotting the bracelet I was holding (and planning on putting away in my drawer, never to be seen again…I do hope I won't hurt Ron's feelings if I don't wear it…maybe I can tell him I'm saving it for special occasions…)

"Well, yes, but - " Before I could hide the dreadful thing, Lavender and Parvati had pounced and were inspecting it.

"Ugh," Lavender said, wrinkling her nose and holding the bracelet out in front of her as if it was infected with something. "Who bought you this?"

"Ron," I said, suddenly feeling defensive. I immediately wished I hadn't answered.

"Ohhhhh," the girls both said, and then started inspecting the bracelet in an entirely different light. They both looked at it very seriously for a few moments, turning it over slowly and talking amongst themselves in hushed voices. I felt like asking if either of them needed a scalpel.

"Well," said Lavender finally, a grave look on her face.

"It's clear he doesn't have a clue," Parvati stated.

"You wouldn't be caught dead wearing this."

"No one would."

"But he still bought it."

"Because he's a boy, and he's clueless."

They both giggled.

"May I put it away now, never to be seen again?" I asked in a bored voice.

"Hermione," said Lavender exasperatedly. "Jewelry is not the sort of present one buys for a friend. He may not have a clue but he's trying."

"Trying what?" I asked with a sigh.

"Hermione, what did Harry buy you for your birthday?" Parvati asked slowly, as if she was talking to a small child.

"A book."

"Mmmhmm. Now what did Ron buy you?"

I sighed. "You don't seriously expect me to answer that, do you?"

"Harry bought you a book. Ron bought you jewelry. Very ugly jewelry, but the poor boy tried," Lavender said with a sigh.

I stared at them blankly.

"Hermione, we've been saying it forever…Ron fancies you!" Parvati finally exclaimed exasperatedly.

"And I've been saying forever, that's bollocks. You two think everyone fancies everyone. Can I go to bed now?" I asked irritably. But a funny feeling was starting to develop in the pit of my stomach and it still hasn't gone away…

"Hermione, this is indisputable evidence," Lavender said seriously, holding up the bracelet. I snatched it away from her and put it away.

"Fine," Parvati sighed, flopping onto her bed. "Just wait 'til we get to say I told you so."

The two of them stayed up talking for awhile after that so I closed the curtains around my bed and started writing in here again. Honestly, the two of them…

11:22 p.m.

That feeling in my stomach still hasn't gone away. And they're right, Ron's never bought me anything like that before. Oh no, and he thought I hated it! What will he think if I don't wear it? What will he think if I do wear it? Why didn't he want to give it to me in front of everyone else? What if…sometimes Lavender and Parvati are right about these sort of things…

NO. I am in serious violation of Goal for the School Year #10. I am going to go to sleep right now.

11:26 p.m.

But now I'm ending my birthday on a bad note. Hmm, let's see…

New bed! I told Malfoy off! O's on my assignments! Hurrah!

That's better.