AN1: Evelyn's Sweet Sixteen part two!

Disclaimer: Zero ownage rights lie with me.

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Evelyn rushed to answer the door but was stopped by her father. "Whoa now, you don't think that you're actually going to be wearing that to swim in, do you? It's way too revealing and it will never stay on."

"But Dad—"

"No buts go back up and change." He pointed upstairs and a small hand covered his own.

"Draco," Hermione addressed her husband reproachfully. "She's fine; we can put a charm on the strings so it won't come undone. Leave her be."

"But Potter is coming with his son and we all know that James fancie—" The doorbell rang again.

"Ev, will you get that while I talk to your father? Oh, by the way, Alyssa and Oliver send their regrets, as they won't be able to make it and neither will Marie and Elaine." Evelyn nodded and rushed out of the room, not wanting to be involved in the argument. She opened the door and grinned when she saw who was waiting.

"Hello Uncle Ron, Uncle Harry, Uncle Blaise, Aunt Ginny and Aunt Spencer." Despite the fact that they weren't really aunts and uncles to her, they had insisted on her calling them that. Evelyn didn't mind.

"Happy birthday!" They chimed simultaneously.

"Thank you. Please come in, my parents are arguing, but I'm sure they'll be over to greet you in a second."

Harry smirked at Ron as he entered the manor. "Some things never change, do they mate?"

Once the older guests were in, Evelyn looked outside for James, Albus, and Lily Potter and Aiden Zabini, but didn't see any of them. They had snuck in behind their parents and now were behind Evelyn and hidden under Harry's invisibility cloak which was enlarged to an invisibility tent. Stealthily, James came out from under it and snuck up behind Evelyn. He grabbed her around the waist, lifted her up over his shoulder and proceeded to carry her amid her shrieks.

She banged her fists—albeit not roughly—on his back. "James Potter put me down this instant!"

He laughed, his blue eyes inherited from Ginny, sparkled with mirth. "I heard that it was your birthday today. Is this true?"

"Maybe...what's it to you?"

"Well I believe that because it's your birthday, you should be thrown in the pool!"

"What?! Corrine! Olivia! Ariel! Sarah! Help me!" Her friends, who had ventured down the stairs at the sound of the screams, laughed at the sight of Evelyn and James, but made no move to help her. They knew she was enjoying it. Everyone, including Draco and Hermione, trooped outside to watch Evelyn get thrown in the pool. James hoisted her over his shoulder and, true to his word, threw her in the deep end of the Malfoy pool.

Evelyn spluttered and coughed as she made her way out of the pool, her hair sopping wet and hanging straight down her back. Smiling sweetly she held her arms out to him, still standing on the edge of the pool. "I don't even get a birthday hug?"

Warily James approached Evelyn's outstretched arms and embraced her. She hugged him tightly, pressing her chlorine soaked figure to his non-wet one all the while trying to ignore the fluttering in her gut. Once she was satisfied that he was wet, she let go of him and stepped back toward the house. James didn't move. "What, you are not going to try to get me back?"

She walked towards him again. "I never said that." With a quick shove, Evelyn pushed him in and ran away from the edge of the pool, laughing hysterically. When he finally got out and dried off somewhat, James held out his hand to her.

"How about we form a temporary truce?" She grasped his hand and again ignored the tingles she felt at his touch.

"Sure, we have a truce, for now." He grinned at her and dragged her back in the house for lunch and presents.

So far, Evelyn thought, this is going very well.

Lunch was a noisy affair. Hermione had had the foresight to set up lunch on two picnic tables outside: one for the kids and one for the others. The meal, made by her and her alone, no house elves allowed to help, was delicious. It may have even rivaled Mrs. Weasley's. Everyone was talking at once, if there had been someone just watching from the sidelines, the conversations would have been so muddled that they wouldn't have been able to tell who was speaking.

Evelyn, who normally had a healthy appetite, wasn't able to eat much. She was still dwelling on James and what would happen if he didn't like her. She thought that her friends were the only ones who noticed, but she was wrong. James also noticed that she wasn't adding much to the chatter around the table, and that she was just picking at her food. When Evelyn got up to set her dishes on the sink inside, James gathered her friends and his siblings together.

"Is it just me or is Evelyn not her normal self?" The rest of the group confirmed his suspicions, that she was indeed, not as happy as she normally was. "Okay, well I have an idea of how to cheer her up."

Evelyn walked back outside to find that everyone at the table she was sitting at had suspicious grins on their faces.

"What's going on?"

"We're going to play a game in the pool!" Ariel exclaimed happily.

Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "And what game would this be?"

"Sharks and minnows!" The teens chorused in excitement. This yell caught the attention of the other table and they watched their kids in amusement. Only Hermione knew what was going to happen and she smirked uncharacteristically causing those at her table to raise their eyebrows. This would certainly be interesting.

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AN2: Please leave me a review! Tell me what you thought! Next part will be up soon!

lovelove, Amanda