Chapter 9: Time

January 9th, 2005, was my forty-fifth birthday. As forty-five was right in the middle of forty and fifty, I was getting old, and I didn't like it. At least I stilled looked like I was in my thirties, which is how old many of the students believed I was.

Jason was convinced we needed to do something special for my birthday, but I wouldn't give him any ideas, no matter how hard he tried to get me to help him out.

"Come on, Luci! Forty-five's and important number! Help me out a little!" Jason begged.

"No." I said stubbornly.

"But we should do something!"

"No." I repeated. Jason was thirty-four, still young. At thirty-four, people didn't understand what forty-five felt like, until they hit forty. I'd have to keep this day in mind for six years down the road.

"Fine." Jason said shortly. "I'll just figure something out myself."

"Fine." I replied.

"But you'll have to dress nice."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Jay."

A half an hour later, Jason knocked on my office door.

"You have a half hour." Jason said as soon as I opened the door. I noticed he was wearing a nice suit with a red tie.

"A half hour for what?" I asked.

"To get ready." Jason answered with a smile.

"For what?" I asked slowly.

"We're going out to a movie and to dinner."

I quickly caught on. "Oh, no, we're not. I'm staying right here in the comfort of my office."

Jason frowned. "You are not staying here. I already made reservations at the fanciest muggle restaurant I could find. They are expecting us."

"Jay!" I cried.

"We are going to celebrate your birthday. Deal with it."

"Fine." I sighed and disappeared into my office to change.

A half hour later, I reemerged from my office wearing a long sleeved, flowing black dress, a pearl necklace, and pearl earrings to match. I somehow managed to tie my long black hair into a bun on the back of my head.

"Wow." Jason whispered. "You look… beautiful."

I blushed. "Thank you."

"Hey, Jason?" I asked after we left Hogwarts.

"What… what's a movie?"

Jason stared at me. "Your father never took you to a movie?"

"No…" I said slowly. "He didn't care about me, remember."

"Oh…. Well, a movie is… it's like a wizard photograph, except there's a storyline behind it, and the people actually talk. You'll see. My grandmother used to take us to movies when we were little. Since she was a squib and couldn't do things wizards and witches did, she learned to do muggle things from her muggle friends."

As it turned out, the movie was amazing. Muggles could really do some awesome things we never give them credit for. The movie was what Jason called "a romantic comedy", and ironically enough, it was about a witch who fell in love with a muggle, even though the muggles who made it didn't believe witches were real. – Or at least I hope they didn't, unless one of them had a muggle-born son or daughter.

After the movie, Jason took me to an Italian restaurant, knowing how much I liked Italian food.

"I actually enjoyed tonight." I admitted as we were eating our appetizer of breadsticks.

Jason smiled. "I was hoping you would. I enjoyed it too."

I was silent for a moment, trying to gain the courage to ask the question that had been on my mind all night. "Jason…?"

"Yes?"

"Is this… is this a date?" I said quickly. I certainly seemed like one. Wasn't this what muggles usually do on dates?"

Jason stared at me in surprise. "If you want it to be." He said softly.

I hesitated. "I'd rather it wasn't." I muttered, embarrassed that I had even asked the question and gave that reply.

"Then, it's not. We're just to friends seeing a movie together, eating dinner and celebrating a birthday." Jason said. I couldn't help but notice the look of disappointment on his face. Suddenly, his face brightened. "Oh, I almost forgot! I drag you out to see a movie and come to dinner with me, and then I didn't give you your present! What a horrible friend!"

I laughed. "You're not horrible!" I said as he handed me a small, box wrapped in wrapping paper and complete with a bow. "Thanks!"

"Open it before you thank me." Jason said.

I tore off the wrapping paper and opened the cardboard box to find a smaller box made out of velvet. Was this… no, it couldn't be. Jason wouldn't be that crazy as to… would he?

"What's wrong?" Jason asked as he saw my hesitation.

"N-nothing" I stammered. I opened the box and breathed a sigh of relief. Inside was a silver locket in the shape of a heart with the letter L engraved on the front. Why on earth had I thought Jason had gotten me an engagement ring for my birthday? We went even together… well, at least not in a romantic relationship kind of way. I must have been insane.

"Oh, Jay… it's beautiful." I whispered.

"Open it." Jason said softly.

I did as he said, and found a small clock. I smiled, closed the locket, and put it around my neck.

"Thanks so much, Jay. I love it." I said.

"I thought you would." Jason replied. "Here's the card to go with it.

He handed me the card. On the outside of the card were two hands holding up a small, red heart. In long, curvy letters was a single word: Time.

The inside read:

Time

Some types of people

Are willing to wait

Until the end of time

For true love

Most of them find it,

But some wait too long,

And before they know it,

Love is gone.

On your special day,

Remember to wait

For the one who will love you

'Til the end of your lives

And beyond.

But don't wait too long,

Or you'll run out of time.

For no one desires to be loved more than you.

Happy Birthday, Lucianna.

Jason's poem really touched my heart, not necessary because of the words, but because he wrote it from the heart. "That was beautiful Jason. I didn't know it was a poet."

Jason smiled. "I didn't know either. But seriously, you're never too old to find love, Luci. Please remember that."

I stare at Jason for a moment.

Jason sighed. "What I meant was, I just want you to be happy. I want you to find love. Don't wait forever. Find it."

"What if I don't need love?" I replied.

"Everyone needs love Luci."

I shake my head. "I don't. Love just leaves a person heartbroken ninety percent of the time anyways, and I don't want that."

Jason frowned. "I disagree."

We sat in silence for a moment. Jason didn't bring up the subject of love again, and neither did I. As I laid in bed that night, I decided my forty-fifth birthday was the best one yet.

Author's note: Oops! I accidently posted this chapter without proof-reading it first! Nobody do this! It's a bad mistake in the writing world. So, that being the case, I'm going to repost the chapter (most of you probably won't see the mistakes anyway, since I realized my mistake after I posted the story for the first time :) )