Again, I'm really sorry for the late update and the disappearing act. With Christmas and homework and excursions and graduations I had trouble finding time to write.
Also this chapter doesn't have much Harry in it. It was originally going to be much longer but then that was a taking a long time so I cut it down. At least now there'll be a fun chapter before the serious ones.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JKRowling owns all characters, places and ideas except for the OCs which are mine.
Updated: 1/3/2014
Chapter Seven- Honestly
The next few weeks passed swiftly once Grace's teachers started to pile on homework. Most nights were spent curled up in the library until the cold weather forced her closer to the common room fire.
Steadily more and more layers of clothing were donned during the many fierce training sessions Oliver held. It seemed he really was set on winning the cup.
It wasn't long before they reached the start of October. For others it meant Halloween. But for Grace, that meant Miranda's birthday.
The morning of the 6th of October started like any other. Alarms rang around the dormitory to jerk them out of their slumber. Owls twittered in the distance as they flew in the morning light. Curtains were thrown aside and presents were picked up in a rush.
Miranda rolled over, her hands flailing through the hangings of her four-poster bed, hair stuck messily to her face. Standing around her, with wrapped-up goodies and handmade in their hands, were her dorm-mates.
"Happy birthday!" they screamed in her face.
"Mmmgnn," Miranda mumbled into her pillow.
"Come on," Grace urged, pulling Miranda's blankets away from her. "Open my present first."
"You mean ours," Ciara nudged Trina.
"Ollie put in a couple of Galleons too," Trina added.
Miranda sat up in bed and pulled the present towards her. A single tear broke through the brown paper before Grace stopped her.
"Wait!" she shouted. "Open the card first."
Even though she rolled her eyes, Miranda still opened the card. Stuck on top of a folded piece of parchment was a photo Fred had sneakily taken a few weeks ago. Ciara and Grace were serenading Miranda while Trina sat laughing at her feet.
"Aw that's cute . . . and quite hilarious," Miranda cooed. One hand crept over to rip the paper away from the packaging of her new designer perfume, Witch's Wonderment. Her mouth fell open. "I've wanted this for ages, ever since I saw an ad in Witch Weekly. I only told my mum though."
"Well . . . uhm . . . I happened to send your mum a letter," Grace explained it with a rueful smile.
"You're too sweet, Gracie," Hannah shook her head. "Here's Lara and I's present. Happy birthday, love."
Miranda once again tore the paper off to reveal a pair of beautiful dangly pearly earrings. Miranda opened her mouth to protest at the sight of them.
"And don't even talk about them being too expensive because we made them ourselves," Lara said.
Miranda thanked them all repeatedly until Ciara pointed out that unless they hurried up they would be late for potions. The thought of an angry Snape made them hurry out of their dorm in no time.
"Miranda!" Louis called out from the Ravenclaw where he had been leaning against one wall. "Happy birthday, my gorgeous girl."
"Oh god, here we go," Miranda muttered, causing the others to frown curiously at her.
"I've been waiting here for you," Louis said.
"Here, I got you something."
In his hands was a square velvet box. Inside lay a golden charm that read, 'you + me = forever', hanging from a delicate chain.
"Wow . . . thanks," Miranda said unenthusiastically.
They continued to make their way downstairs, chatting along the way.
"That necklace is very committing, isn't it?" Ciara commented to Louis, who was trailing behind them.
"Miranda and I are very committed," Louis answered. Miranda's face didn't say the same thing.
"Oh come on, there's some special birthday pancakes, just for you," Grace tugged Miranda away.
"Sorry Louis," Trina apologized. "A girl's gotta eat."
"Oh well I guess I'll see her later then."
"That's the spirit!" Trina encouraged.
Lara and Hannah each gave him a small smile but the wary dislike still lingered in their eyes.
Meanwhile Miranda complained to Grace and Ciara.
"He's so clingy! I'm barely 15 and he thinks we're getting married! School relationships never last and this one won't!"
"Why don't you just break up with him?" Grace asked, helping herself to hash browns.
"He's never had a girlfriend before, probably not use to it. I feel bad for him, ya know?"
"No," Ciara frowned.
"Yeah," Grace said wistfully. "I kinda felt that way when Nate wasn't being an arse. The best thing to do is just get it over with."
"I'll do it today," Miranda sighed. "Wish me birthday luck."
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"So do we want fireworks or confetti at the door?" Fred inquired, weighing the two boxes in his hands.
"Isn't it bad to set off fireworks inside?" Grace raised her eyebrows.
"Well . . . yeah," Fred answered. "But what's fun without a few scorch marks?"
"Considering we're in the kitchens I think we should just go with confetti," Grace decided.
Fred's face fell but the second Grace's back was turned, his wicked grin reappeared as he pulled the fireworks from out of their box.
"George," Grace started. "What are you doing?"
George stood on a table, reaching up to spread streamers along the roof. So far he had managed to wrap half of it around his chest and neck.
"Hanging streamers, just like you asked," he said.
"Honestly you two, you're better at participating in parties than setting them up," Grace said, exasperated.
"Hey we've started many parties before," Fred protested. "All you have to do is bring drinks to a crowded place, turn up the music and let them go wild."
"Then we go wild," George added. He pulled a folded tablecloth off a shelf and draped it around his waist. As if following along to a loud beat, he swung his hips back and forth. His arms went over his head, waving crazily, until they got stuck in the streamers overhead.
Fred roared with laughter and Grace let out a tiny giggle.
"C'mon party boy, let's get you unwrapped," Grace suggested. "Miranda won't be too long and it would help if you weren't the only decoration."
George pouted but allowed Grace to untangle the streamers from around his body. With one wave of her wand, she repositioned them on the ceiling.
"We need a cake," Fred declared. "Gonna have to ask the house elves for that. Chocolate layer cake with that mousse icing right?"
"Yeah, in her favourite colour," Grace told him.
"Right," Fred said and started to walk off. "What is that again?"
"Purple, you idiot," Grace scolded with a roll of her eyes. "And don't forget the party food!"
Fred waved her off.
"You sure purple isn't just your favourite colour?" George questioned Grace, climbing down from the table.
"It is," Grace said. "But it's mine as well."
"Sure it is," George nodded. "When is Miranda getting here, by the way?"
"Lara and Ciara are bringing the guests in a few minutes then Hannah and Trina will bring her down."
"So we all hide in the dark and scare the balls out of her?" George grinned. "Wicked!"
"You're kind of twisted, you know that?" Grace commented.
"Right so while you two were sitting there having a nice little chat, I was being productive and organised all the food for the night," Fred announced as he sauntered his way back to them. George and Grace scowled at him; George shoving him lightly. Outside the kitchen door they could hear voices getting louder and footsteps coming closer.
"Shhh, we're technically not supposed to be here," someone whispered.
"That must be Lara," Grace guessed.
A second later, once the pear had giggled and transformed into a doorknob, the door swung open to confirm her guess. Lara and Ciara stood in front of a crowd of Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. There were at least one hundred of them.
"Wow you guys did a pretty good job with the decorations!" Ciara awed as people poured into the kitchen around them.
"Once I untangled George from the streamers," Grace joked.
"Miranda, Trina and Hannah will be down in five minutes," Lara informed them. "She's getting really suspicious and is still complaining that we didn't let her go to dinner. I think she's still a bit upset about breaking up with Louis."
"I guess anyone would be upset about that," Grace reasoned. "After all they'd been together for over four months."
"If Miranda broke up with him, then why is he still here?" Ciara interjected, staring a bunch of Ravenclaws huddled by the fire that included Nate and Louis.
"I never invited him," Grace said, narrowing her eyes.
"Neither did I," Lara said.
"Relax ladies, George and I told him to come," Fred interrupted. "We've got a little surprise lined up for him."
Lara, Ciara and Grace groaned.
"Sir! Your food is ready, sir!" a house elf squeaked. Behind him, mingled in with the party guests, were a crowd of house elves, all bearing silver platters of sausage rolls, party pies, cakes, cookies and fairy bread and wearing tea-towels stamped with the Hogwarts crest. Five house elves in front bore a magnificent layered cake with thick purple icing dotted with tiny white sugar roses.
"Wow that's really amazing," Grace complimented. "Thank you!"
"Would miss like us to put the food on the tables?" the house elf asked.
"Yes, please, Miranda should be here soon."
"Good cause I can't wait to get this party started," Lee said, jumping off the counter that the boys were currently sitting on.
"Calm down, Lee, you have all night for fun," Ciara laughed.
A cheeky grin crossed Lee's face before a yell was heard in the corridor.
"Miranda!" Trina yelled. "We are going to the kitchens right?"
"Nah I thought we'd walk down here after having no dinner and just look at the bowl of fruit," came Miranda's sarcastic reply. "What's with all the yelling anyway?"
"Everyone hide!" Fred and George shouted.
With a wave of her wand, Lara extinguished the torches hanging around. They were cast into a flickering darkness from the large fire at one end.
Miranda, Hannah and Trina opened the door.
"SURPRISE!" Over a hundred people screamed. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
As soon as Miranda had stepped through the door, fireworks had exploded with ear-popping bangs and confetti burst from boxes on either side, coating Miranda head to toe in tiny pieces of colourful paper. Above the birthday wishes and bangs, Miranda's scream could be heard. It was as priceless as the shocked, wide-eyed, mouth-open look on her face as the scene in front of her came to light.
"Oh my god, really?"
"All by yours truly," Fred boasted. George and Grace glared mockingly at him.
"Thank you so, so much! You guys are so sweet!" she gushed, squeezing them all into tight hugs.
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"This party is amazing!" Miranda panted, collapsing into her special birthday girl chair. "I'm glad someone actually put on some good music!"
"We've got one more surprise for you," George winked at her. "Wait for it."
"Wait for wha-," Miranda started. An impressively loud explosion cut her off in the direction of the Ravenclaws. Three balloons above them had burst open, covering Louis, Nate and a few others in thick, slimy mud.
Roars of laughter echoed around the kitchens. Grace, Trina and Ciara choked on their chuckles, pounding the table. Miranda was the worst though. Her face had gone red, her breaths came in wheezes, both hands were clutched to her side and she made strange hiccupping gasps in alternating intervals.
"Happy birthday, Miranda," Fred wished.
"That's our present to you," George said.
"Oh my Merlin, I love this song!" Grace exclaimed. An American Muggle singer, Taylor Swift had just started singing on the portable Wizarding Wireless Net. "Let's dance!"
She grabbed onto Miranda's hand, who in turn clutched Fred and George's shirts. All four of them ran, the boys somewhat reluctantly, onto the space cleared for dancing.
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"What time is it, Lala?" Trina asked Lara, cuddling into Oliver's chest.
"One thirty AM," Lara responded after checking her watch. She and Hannah were busy building a castle out of Exploding Snap cards, careful to keep their faces out of the way.
"Is there anybody else still here?" Grace wondered. A single glance around the room showed her only dying embers in the fire.
"Snap!" Jesse said, slamming his hand down on the pile of Muggle cards.
"One big gulp then," Miranda told him, handing over the extra-large bottle of Butterbeer they had found.
"It's been a really good n-n-night," Ciara yawned, leaning into Lee's shoulder. "Now I just want to go sleep."
"My leg's already gone to sleep," Lee grumbled. "Mind shifting a bit, love?"
"Check the Map, will you Fred?" George requested. "Right now I don't really feel like running into Filch."
For the next few minutes all that could be heard was the sound of Grace and George fighting over the bottle of Butterbeer, Miranda and Jesse egging them on, a puff of smoke as Hannah and Lara's castle exploded and whispers coming from the two couples.
"Shit," Fred cursed. "Snape's coming. Now."
In a frantic scramble for their lives, they all gathered up Miranda's present and bottles of Butterbeer that weren't empty.
"Quick, quick, in the pantry," George directed.
Absolute darkness fell as soon as Lee snapped the door shut behind them. They all waited with baited breath, their skin brushing against each other, hardly daring to breathe.
"Why is it we can never just have a night of fun at Hogwarts without being interrupted by teachers or some sort of danger?" Miranda whispered.
"There's still Halloween," Grace said. "I'm sure nothing will happen then."
Even as she said it, Grace had a feeling that she was wrong.
Well there you are! I hope it was worth the wait. We are on holidays now so after Christmas I will be able to get many more chapters up.
Please review with any questions or comments!