Chapter 6 Harry's Birthday Party
Harry came out of his room after taking his shower and getting cleaned up for dinner to be met by Buffy. Wow! She looks so beautiful; it's almost a shame that she is my cousin. Buffy looked Harry over, and noticed that he seemed to take extra care with how he dressed for dinner this evening. He was wearing cream coloured silk slacks with a white thin silk shirt and his Hogwarts neck tie. He must really be trying to get someone's attention Buffy thought as they went downstairs.
"Hay Harry, we need to stop in the main gym for a minute to make sure the girls took care of their weapons and put everything away if not, then we need to do it. I don't need anyone getting hurt." Buffy said as she smoothed the legs of her black leather pants over the tops of her high healed boots.
"Sure Buffy, whatever I can do to help. By the way, thanks for taking me patrolling; I learned a lot this evening even though we didn't see any vampires." Harry said as he started to reflect about how even though no on remembered his birthday things weren't that bad.
When they got to the door of the gym, Buffy told Harry to go on in she would be just behind him because she forgot some papers that she needed. Harry didn't think anything of the fact that she was getting papers to go put weapons away then go to dinner.
"SURPRISE! Happy Birthday Harry!" is what Harry heard as he walked in and saw both family and friends who meant the world to him. The first people he noticed were Ron, Hermione, and Professor Dumbledore. He continued to look at the crowd gathered in the gym and saw the Weasleys, Remus, McGonagall, Hagrid, as well as Snape and was that Malfoy? Harry also noticed all the SIT's, Giles, Xander, and Faith Oh my God! She is wearing tight black leather pants and a red leather tube top. I wonder if I will actually be able to talk to her… . Dawn was standing next to Spike; and Willow was talking to some guy that looked like he might have been a musician.
"Happy Birthday Harry. You didn't think that we forgot your 16th birthday did you?" Buffy asked as she walked in behind him hugging him in the process.
"Honestly I kinda thought that everyone did, but today's training session and the patrol felt like it made up for it." Harry honestly replied. "This surprise is incredible, how were you able to do it?"
"Well, we have Hermione and Willow to thank for that; in fact there is a couple more surprises waiting for you. First is for your party, I would like to introduce Oz and his band the Dingoes. The other is outside; opposite the end of the property we were patrolling." Buffy answered.
"Hay Harry, you may need this though." Hermione said as she handed him his Fire-bolt and grinned as he noticed that most of the other people had brooms as well.
Everyone went outside and watched the look on Harry's face as he saw the Quidditch pitch that Willow put together for him. "Here is your gift from your family here." Willow said grinning broadly as she indicated the field with her hand.
"Harry, this is from all of us, though Fred and George were the ones that had to get it." Molly Weasley said as the twins brought out a chest that opened to reveal a full Quidditch ball set.
"Well Harry, are we going to set up teams and play for a bit?" Ron eagerly asked as Harry looked around still severely dumbfounded.
"I guess. Who is interested in a game of Quidditch?" Harry said almost without thinking; his body automatically getting ready for the rush of adrenalin that would be coursing through his veins while he would be flying several hundred feet in the air.
Harry was answered by all the Weasley siblings, Draco, both his cousins, Faith, Xander, as well as Willow and surprisingly Snape agreed to make the last player. They split the twins up as well as split Charlie and Bill so that the teams would be evenly matched. Since Harry and Draco are seekers on their house teams, they split one on each team. The four original Scoobies split two and two; while Faith and Snape flipped a quarter to see who would go to which team. The two teams got on their brooms and flew up into the air ready for the start of the match. McGonagall volunteered to be the referee and Giles agreed to keep score. The game was on.
The teams played hard; the two slayers were chasers on each team and both managed to score 3 goals each. Fred and George were determined to knock each other off their brooms with the Bludgers which had their parents laughing. Everyone watching was surprised at how exciting the match was; then they saw the Golden Snitch flying around. Draco saw it first, and started after it; Harry was watching Draco and then saw what he saw. The race was on; who would get the snitch first. The score was now 170 to 30; Harry's team had managed to keep scoring past Snape who was flying hard trying to get his game back like he used to play keeper for Slytherin when he was a student. Suddenly Draco saw the Snitch go to the far right side of the field. He took off after it just as Faith accidentally crashed her broom into Harry. While the two players were trying to get their bearings when they heard the whistle blow. Draco had caught the Snitch, and his team won 180 to 170.
Both teams landed and got their congratulations from everyone, cleaned up the field and went inside where the band started rocking while the food was brought out. Faith asked Harry to dance; Dawn and Draco were chatting, and Buffy could be found off to the side talking to Willow about a particular potions master.
"I don't know Will, he looks cuddly some how. But then again look at me, dating 2 vampires, a chemically enhanced soldier, and a few jerks. What do you think? I mean he seems to have the big bad thing going on, but he looks like he has redemption thing kinda like Angel did." Buffy chatted as she sipped the punch that Dawn made and twirled her fingers in her hair which she now wore with black streaks in it.
"Well there is something about him that I can't quite put my finger on, but if this Dumbledore guy trusts him with the safety of Harry, he can't be that bad. How bout you just go over there and do your sexy dance for him like you did to Xander that one night; even though your reasons were wrong, those were some incredible moves." Willow answered as she fondly remembered seeing her two best friends on the dance floor after Xander used CPR to bring her back from the dead.
"I guess you're right; well here goes nothing" Buffy said as she set her glass down, tugged her pants back to sitting low on her hips, and smoothed her hair back. She looked across the room where Snape was talking to Spike.
Spike still had his enhanced hearing so he was listening to the girls conversation, so when Buffy started to walk over to where they were talking, he excused himself and went to torment Xander. Buffy walked up to Snape, took his hand, and lead him to the dance floor.
"What are you doing Ms. Summers?" a very confused Snape asked because he was not used to women acting with any sort of affection towards him. He reached down to make sure that his pendant was still there under his Muggle clothes.
"Just be quiet, and dance with me." was all Buffy said as she started to do a very sexy dance with Snape; or more like around Snape who was standing a little dumbfounded at her actions.
Their actions didn't go unnoticed by any of either of their inner circles.
Buffy, I think you are turning him on… I know you have me going, and if I were to like you like that, you would definitely not be sleeping alone tonight Willow sent to Buffy with telepathy.
Glad you like it, but I think I will try to pursue this one a bit slower. You know make sure there is no clause that he will turn all evil if he gets a moment of true happiness. Buffy answered back grinning evilly as she continued to dance with Snape.
After about two hours of music, dancing, and food the lights went out; two of the SIT's carried in a double sheet cake that had a picture of Harry riding a broom after a Golden Snitch along with 16 lit candles and 1 unlit candle for luck. Everyone sang happy birthday, Harry blew out his candles, and everyone had some cake. The party started to wind down after that point. The girls started to go off to their dorms, and the guests from Hogwarts were offered a tour of the grounds by moon light.
Faith came up behind Harry, and took him by his hand. While everyone walked along one of the paths on the grounds the young couple slowly started to drop back.
"Harry, look; I know that there is a bit of an age difference between us, and I usually do the date the older guy thing, but I was wondering if you; you know, would like to maybe see if there is something that we may be able to maybe start to date or something…" Faith started to babble, confused by how this young wizard made her feel. Robin taught her how to love, but she felt that for some reason Harry would be able to teach her how to live in love.
Instead of answering Faith because he was still so surprised, Harry stopped walking stood to face her, and gently took her face in his hands. He lowered his face to her, as she naturally tilted her face up to him. Their lips met, and they both felt surges of electricity between them. The next thing that they realized was that they were floating about a foot off the ground. As they released each other from the kiss, they slowly floated down.
"Wow!" was all that either of them could say because that was the moment when a very agitated Servius Snape crashed his way back down the path and made his way to the house.
Before anyone knew it, it was late in the evening and Buffy decided to call it a night because there were some tired travellers who thought too much of the young man walking with her sister slayer than to end his night.
"Well gang, I think it is time we called it a night. I know I am tired from that training session that Harry and I had earlier." Buffy stated in a tone that made the rest of the Scoobies decide the same thing.
Dumbledore looked amused at how such a tiny woman was able to command people in such a way but without giving actual orders. McGonagall looked at Buffy in appreciation because she was really tired. The rest of adults from England went to their rooms and called it a night. All the younger visitors decided to head to Buffy's gym with a pot of hot cocoa and a giant plate of cookies to just get to know one another and enjoy the night. After they finished their second pot of cocoa, Buffy sent everyone off to their beds.
"Buffy, I just wanted to thank you for doing this for me. It was my best birthday ever. I don't know how to thank you enough." Harry sleepily said as he hugged his cousin.
"Hay, I remember how it was to be 16, and don't worry about it; you can help with cleanup in the morning okay?" was all Buffy said in reply as she stifled a yawn, watching Harry nod, then went off to their rooms for the night.
(A/N: I figured the floating thing would be a neat thing to do for the first romance that will appear in this story. I kind of figured Harry would be able to do that without thinking about it because of how his magic works…..)
Spoiler for Chapter 7: "Buffy, I think I am in love; if you can believe that. Imagine me, the Slayer who fought, slayed, then laid the nearest guy available then that was it leave.. In love, with a younger guy for cripes sake." Faith went on as she pounded the meat she was working with in the kitchen.