"Surprise!" A large 'Happy Birthday!' banner hung above the fireplace while her friends smiled at her from underneath it.
"Surprise! It was a surprise, right?" Pansy worried at her side and Jade laughed,
"Yes." Pansy relaxed into a smile and hurried over to join her other friends under the banner. Jade didn't really like surprises but this one she was happy with, and one she would never expect. Draco, Blaise, Pansy, Theo, and Gretta stood under the banner while Fred, George, Hermione, Ron, and Harry stood next to them. A small but clear space between her two groups of friends. A few Slytherin students gave her Gryffindor friends some dirty looks as they passed to leave for breakfast but surprisingly didn't say anything. "Harry, I thought you were supposed to be in the Hospital."
"He was." Ron grinned next to him. "He tried to convince Madam Pomfrey to let him go but when that didn't work he just started to annoy her until she couldn't stand him disrupting everything." Jade smiled at the picture in her head.
"I didn't want to miss your birthday," Harry explained casually as his cheeks turned a light pink.
"Come on, Jade, open your presents." Fred smiled and as Jade moved towards the stack of gifts on the table, her friends took their seats at the couches and chairs. Jade reached for a present but then paused to look at them. All of them together. No arguing.
"What are you waiting for?" Draco asked at her side and she began picking at the first wrapped gift.
"Who's idea was this?" She asked as she continued.
"Draco's." Blaise smiled from across the table and Jade glanced at him.
"Thank you." Draco grinned and waited for her to continue but she didn't. She was just looking at him. She knew how much he disliked her other friends. He blew it off but he had to know how much it meant to her.
"What is it?" Theo asked and Jade looked back at the gift in her hands and peeled the last of the wrapping off to present a small box of exploding bonbons.
"I suggest giving those to people you don't like," George spoke up.
"What do they do?" Jade asked,
"They explode in people's mouths. A fun little surprise." Fred smirked. It took a while to get through her gifts and she felt awkward with everyone watching her. She was grateful when there was only one left.
"That one's from me," Draco said quietly and Jade smiled as she reached for a black velvet box with a white ribbon tied around it. It looked almost identical to the one he had given her last year except this one was a bit longer. "Saved the best for last." He grinned around at the group and George scoffed.
"Probably just forgot you were there, Malfoy."
"Yeah, I've never seen you shut your-" Fred smiled but Jade shot him a look and he cleared his throat, "Sorry, continue." Jade pulled the silky ribbon loose from the box and slowly opened it. A diamond snake necklace laid perfectly in the middle. Jade picked it up carefully to show everyone else.
"It's pretty." Hermione smiled.
"Could you?" Jade handed it to Draco and moved her hair to the side before turning her back to him.
"Oh, um, yeah." Draco fiddled with the clasp before carefully securing it around her neck.
"It's beautiful." Jade looked down at it as she turned it in her fingers. "Thank you." Draco nodded.
"That's a nice present, Malfoy," George smirked.
"Yeah, very special," Fred commented and George elbowed him, the both of them smiling madly like idiots.
"What?" Jade smiled at the twins.
"Nothing." Hermione said, "Are you hungry?"
"Sure." For the first time, the Gryffindors sat at the Slytherin table. They sat and ate uncomfortably as other Slytherin students watched them. "I'm sorry." Jade said to Harry at her side, "You don't have to."
"No, it's fine. It's nothing we haven't gotten before." Fred and George were currently staring at the observing Slytherins.
"Fred-" Jade started and George shushed her.
"Not now, Jade. We're about to win."
"Win what?" Pansy asked,
"Staring contest," Fred told her, and the Slytherins that they were locked eyes with scoffed and looked away, unaware they were playing a game with the Gryffindors and irritated that they couldn't make the twins uncomfortable enough to get up and leave. "See? Told you." He smiled at Pansy.
"You didn't win, they didn't know they were playing."
"Well, come on, then." Fred turned a little to stare at Pansy.
"No."
"Why not?" George turned too and Pansy frowned under their attention.
"It's childish."
"Says the thirteen-year-old." Fred taunted. "You're right. It's not like you'd win anyway." At the mention of a challenge, Pansy squared up against them and hit Blaise gently at her side,
"Bet you we'll win."
"I didn't ask to be-" Blaise started but Pansy gave him a look and he sighed, "Alright." It was an awkward few minutes but then surprisingly her friends started interacting with the Gryffindors. Hermione and Theo were in an intelligent conversation that Ron was trying to listen to but by his vacant expression he didn't seem to catch most of it. Gretta was talking to Harry about quidditch, a sore subject at the time, but Harry was friendly with her. Jade was content, for once her friends were getting along and she didn't have to worry about Draco being difficult and saying something to Harry. She was sure that it was only because it was her birthday.
"Isn't this nice?" She whispered to Draco and he rolled his eyes,
"I'd rather be suffering through Divination."
"Liar." Draco chuckled, "Everyone's getting along. You know, if you and Harry-"
"Don't push it." He cut her off.
"But it's my birthday."
"And you're milking it for all it's worth."
"Yes, I am." Jade grinned. A small pouch landed in front of her and she looked up just in time to see Ezekiel land on the table.
"Ha! You lose!" George slapped the table.
"That's not fair, an owl landed on the table!" Pansy protested but the twins weren't hearing it, they were too busy celebrating a victory that to anybody else wouldn't be anything worth celebrating.
"Hello, love." She cooed as she picked the letter from Ezekiel's beak and peeked into the pouch to find it filled with galleons. Her parents had sent her more money for her weekends in Hogsmeade.
"That's a nice owl." Ron craned to look at Ezekiel from behind Hermione.
"Thanks." Jade offered her arm and Ezekiel quickly hopped on, she moved him so Ron could get a better look at him. Ron reached to touch him, "I wouldn't." She warned, "He's not very nice to people he hasn't met before." Draco then reached over and scratched Ezekiel's neck while smirking at Ron.
