Disclaimer – Nope. No. Nopey nopey no. Just… not.

Chapter 19: Happy Birthday!

Previously: 'Fine, Miss Little-ball-of-unstoppable-unembarrassable-energy. Stop contradicting us,' said Sarah lazily, 'anyway, our sweets are all finished. I reckon it's time to brush our teeth and toddle off to bed.'

'You can toddle. I'm not… toddling… anywhere,' said Caroline, giving a huge yawn.

'Oh yes, you are, grinned Suzie, 'don't think we didn't see that. I liked today, it was fun.'

'Yeah, it was. Night, Suzie.'

'Night.'

'Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday dear Su-zie!

Happy birthday to you!'

'Guys, shh! People will start looking!' said Suzie, but they could tell she was pleased.

'Come on, birthday girl! All big and grown up and 18! Sit down and have some breakfast!' called Caroline, so Suzie went over to the Gryffindor table and took the bowl of cornflakes Caroline was offering her.

'Hey, Suzie,' said Lily, taking a rolled up newspaper from a post owl and paying it, 'now you're of age in the muggle world as well as the wizarding world!'

'Yeah, you can get married of your own free will,' grinned Caroline, 'Now's the time to pop the question, Peter!'

Both Peter and Suzie blushed scarlet.

'Oh, shh, Caroline,' said Lily, smiling. 'I'm sure Peter knows that he doesn't need to do that to make sure Suzie's devoted.'

They blushed even more.

'What's that you've got there, Lily?' asked Sarah, tactfully changing the subject.

'Oh, this?' said Lily, waving the paper, 'I decided to start a subscription to the Daily Prophet, to know what We-All-Know-Who is doing. Depressing stuff, but it's better to know what's going on in the world, I think. However, today the front page is showing me a happy Bellatrix Black and Rodolphus Lestrange announcing their engagement.'

'They are?' gasped Sirius. 'That's disgusting. Pass it here.'

'It's true, I promise,' said Lily, but she offered him the newspaper anyway.

'Urgh, that's gross. Bella, married. Vile thought.'

Caroline looked confused. 'Bella? Oh, Bellatrix. I always thought of her as more of a Trixie.'

They all laughed, and went back to their breakfasts, Lily eating porridge with her newspaper leaning against a water jug. There was relative silence, except for several chewing noises and the occasional slurping.

'I'm bored,' moaned Caroline.

'I'm still bored,' moaned Caroline, some time later.

'Oh shut up, Caroline,' snapped Sarah, 'You've been saying that all day!'

'Yes, well, it's true.'

'Guys! Guys! Please don't squabble! Now tell me… this,' Suzie held up a baby-pink robe, 'this,' she held up a blue robe, 'or this.' She held up a banana-yellow robe.

'The pink one,' replied Sarah.

'No, the blue one,' said Lily.

'No, yellow,' said Caroline.

'Urgh, no, Caroline, she looks like a canary!' said Lily in disgust.

'But a canary with style!'

At the look on Lily and Sarah's faces, Caroline dropped the grin and jazz hands.

'Fine then. The blue, Suze,' said Caroline.

'I've told you not to call me that,' said Suzie.

'But I like calling you that. It's fun.'

Suzie sighed and turned to change into the blue robe.

'How do I look, guys?' she asked, when she had finished changing.

'Oh, Suzie!' cried Caroline. 'I haven't seen a more beautiful birthday girl since, well, my birthday!'

'Oh God! I look worse than you did then? Save me!' giggled Suzie, and fell backwards onto her bed.

'Caroline's just jealous that you look gorgeous and she looked like a monkey,' said Lily, grinning.

'I did not!'

'You did so, Caroline!'

They continued squabbling out into the common room, where they met up with the boys.

'We've just finished. Transfiguration classroom,' hissed James to Lily, as Suzie still didn't know about her party.

Lily nodded, and called out, 'Su-zie…'

'What?'

'Come here, silly.'

'Why? What are you going to do?'

'Blindfold you,' said Lily, taking out a strip of material.

'What? Wha- Lily, no!'

'Too late,' observed Caroline.

'I hate you guys – what are you doing? Where are we going?'

'Give her a leg-up through the portrait hole, Peter,' said Sarah, giggling.

'Fair enough,' replied Peter, and Suzie could tell he was grinning.

'Couldn't you have waited until we were outside the portrait hole to blindfold me?'

'What would be the fun in that?' be asked Sirius' voice. 'This way he gets to feel up your legs.'

Suzie squeaked in embarrassment. 'Sirius Black you are the vilest, most evil, horrible- ow, that hurt!'

Remus changed the grip on her arm.

'Sorry, Suzie. Left here.'

'And we're here!' called Lily's voice.

'Finally!' grumbled Suzie, and she undid her blindfold, before gasping at the sight of the room around her. 'Wow! This is gorgeous! Oh, thanks, guys!'

Lily had to admit, as she watched Suzie hug everyone, that the room did look beautiful. James had spent a long time decorating – there were streamers hanging down from the ceiling, brightening up the room and making the ceiling lower and cosier. He had also managed to buy some fairies, and they were glittering prettily around the streamers. There was the cake, standing in pride of place on a table which had been decorated in true marauder style – with food. On a table next to it, there was a pile of Suzie's presents, and a gramophone – the only thing they had found which didn't use electricity – was playing music softly into the background.

'Guys! You did this all for me! Aaw, you shouldn't have!'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'What, you wanted to have it up in the dorm and have everyone seeing your underwear decorate the room?'

Suzie blushed.

'She has a point, you know,' murmured Sarah to her.

'Whether she has a point or not is beside the point.'

'Present Time!' yelled Sirius.

'Ok, so what has Peter got you, Suze?'

Suzie rolled her eyes. 'He's got me a,' she shook the package, 'Well, it clinks. Shall I open it?'

'Yes!' yelled her friends.

'Don't rush me, don't rush me!'

Despite saying this, she opened the package as quickly as possible. Inside was a beautiful silver necklace with a tiger's eye pendant, a pair of earrings, and a silver charm bracelet.

'Oh Peter!' she squealed. The rest of the girls had to be restrained from squealing too, but before Peter could blush too much, Suzie had jumped on him and was kissing him forcefully. Their friends gave them a minute, after which they all had simultaneous coughing fits.

'Sorry!' Suzie said, blushing, but grinning.

'Open mine, open mine!' said Sirius, bouncing on his chair like a four-year-old.

'Ok, Sirius… this box, I take it?' said Suzie, holding up the Honeydukes box.

'That's the one!'

Remus raised an eyebrow. Sirius rolled his eyes, and added,

'Well, yes, and Moony and Prongs helped get it too, I suppose, but…'

Suzie smiled and opened it to reveal the Pumpkin Parcels.

'Oh, Sirius!' she said happily, and kissed him on the cheek. Lily, Caroline and Sarah looked at each other, being careful not to laugh, and quickly looked away again. James and Remus cleared their throats loudly. She swooped down on them and kissed them on the cheek too.

'What was that you were saying about not needing to be engaged, Lily?' murmured Caroline, much to the amusement of Sarah and Lily.

'Open ours now!' squealed Sarah, distracting attention from Suzie's kisses.

'Ooh, Sarah! Lily!' exclaimed Suzie when she had discarded the shiny wrapping paper. 'This is perfect!' She opened one of the tubs of facemask and sniffed it. 'Mmm… you got me the lavender one!'

'I thought we could use it some time when we're all up in the dorm – you know; a girly time.'

'Sounds like fun!' beamed Suzie.

'And the soap's just because you have BO,' said Caroline cheerfully. Suzie stopped sniffing it and frowned at her. 'Just kidding, Suze, open my present!'

Suzie opened it and out rolled three powdery round bath bombs. She lifted one after another up and smelled them.

'Mmm. Jasmine… honeysuckle… vanilla. Yum, Caroline!'

'Thought you'd like it,' Caroline lied with ease as Lily looked on wearing an pretend indignant expression behind Suzie's back. 'Anyway. Presents over, food time!'

Some time later, first courses were finished and lying around, the cake had been suitably dug into, and much pumpkin had been consumed, they were all sitting in the squishy chairs that had been conjured up, waiting for the effects of the pumpkin to kick in.

'Am I hyper yet?' moaned Suzie, frustrated.

'No,' groaned Lily, just as frustrated. 'How about we talk about something else instead for a while?'

Suzie frowned and, sulking, sunk lower into her chair. 'Fine. What?'

'How about… Christmas?'

'Fine. I suppose I'll have to send the reply to this present to you, Peter. It's a shame, cos I like seeing people open their presents,' Suzie mused.

'Why?' asked Peter. 'Are you going home for Christmas?'

'No…I thought you were!'

'No, no! Neither of us are!'

'Seriously?' asked Lily incredulously, 'I'm not going home either!'

James looked up. 'Together at Christmas, my Lily Flower. It must be love.' Why did I say that? Why? Why? It's such a corny line! Come on Potter, you can do better than that!

'What?' asked Lily, confused.

'Erm, what, am I staying here, or what do I mean?'

'Well, both.'

'Ok, yes, I'm here for Christmas, and, well, um… I don't know – it was just something I said.' My God, this is embarrassing. When did it become so hard to talk to her?

Lily sighed, but didn't make a comment. 'Anyone else staying here for Christmas?'

'I am,' put in Sarah.

'Me too,' added Remus.

'Me three,' grinned Sirius.

'Me four,' giggled Caroline.

'Wait, wait,' said Lily excitedly, we're all here for Christmas? How much more perfect can you get?'

No-one answered her rhetorical question, so, to let off steam, she hugged Sarah. Lily could be very cuddly when she was pleased.

'Is she often like this?' asked Remus, amused.

'You've known her for seven years, Remus,' replied Sarah, although her voice was muffled by Lily.

'Am I hyper yet?' asked Suzie.

Yay! Suzie's Birthday! Cuteness! Squee! I won't do that mad squeeing-ness ever again, for fear of scaring people. Anyhoo. Speaking of cute squeeing, see next chapter. Hepsa's creation, and a sweeter Christmas you never will see. Aaw. I would have posted it at Christmas, except… um… we left it saved at school, and can't get to it, sorry. I know it's kind've sad to post stuff about Christmas after Christmas, but we can't do anything about it. Sorry again. And Hepsa also left the next chapter of Maybe, Maybe Not at school as well, so that won't be updated for a while either.

Subject: Teachers making fools of themselves deliberately. Like having porridge poured over their heads or doing a Pantomime on the last day of school (more fool them…)

Larka :)