September 17 1973
"What do you mean your birthday's in two days?!"
Hermione cringed and put down the book she was reading, looking guiltily up at Marlene and Lily's shocked faces. She really hadn't meant to let that slip. She wasn't going to tell her friends about her birthday, at least, not this year. They'd really only known each other for a couple weeks and she didn't want them to feel obligated to get her anything, especially since the first trip to Hogsmeade would be in November, which meant that they would have to order something, which would cost them even more for the owl...
Anyways, the point was that she hadn't wanted them to know, but she'd been distracted reading her book, so when Lily had said that after Mary (who'd had her birthday the day before) she was the oldest, she'd carelessly said that no, she was the oldest, since she'd be fourteen in two days.
"...umm" She said, not sure how to get out of this mess.
Marlene, who'd been staring at her with big blue eyes ever since Hermione had spoken, suddenly piped up.
"Were you just not going to tell us?" She asked, aghast. Hermione felt herself blushing.
"...yeah."
"But why?" Lily asked. She may not have known it, but she had complete control over Hermione. With just a look from her emerald eyes in Hermione's direction, she could get the curly-haired witch to do nearly anything she asked. At the moment, those eyes were filled with confusion and a slight bit of hurt that made Hermione want to kick herself. All she could see was Harry.
"Because we just met and I didn't want you to feel like you had to do anything or get me something. It's really no big deal, I prefer to just have peace and quiet anyways." She said, immediately trying to stop Marlene from planning anything. The brunette girl had planned Mary's whole birthday party and Hermione recognized the look that had just appeared in her eyes as the same look she'd worn while planning said party.
"The only thing you've done is make me have to plan this all last minute, darling. Lily, would you get my notepad, please." Marlene said, and proceeded to sweep aside the bracelet making kit her and Lily had been using. Hermione's eyes widened.
"Marlene, It's fine! I really don't want a big party like Mary's." She pleaded. Lily handed Marlene her notepad and the muggle pen she'd given her in first year.
"Calm down, Hermione. If you don't want a big party I won't make it big." The blue eyed girl laughed, writing something down in her notepad, then turning it around to show her friend. "See? I've already written it down. 'Attendance: Just friends.'" She read aloud. Hermione chewed her bottom lip.
"I don't want you to feel obligated to do this." She said quietly. Marlene rolled her eyes and moved from Lily's bed to Hermione's, wrapping her arms around the shorter witch from the side.
"I don't. I'm doing this because I want to. You're my friend." She said resting her chin on Hermione shoulder. Hermione's breath caught in her throat as she turned to look into Marlene's eyes. She wasn't sure what was happening, but every time Marlene smiled playfully at her or looked her in the eyes she became flustered and had the ridiculous urge to kiss her. She'd never felt like this towards another girl, but her parents had never tried to shield her from the topic of sexuality so she wasn't really freaked out, just surprised.
Lily cleared her throat from where she was sitting cross-legged on her bed, raising an eyebrow with a knowing smirk plastered across her lips.
"Are you two done?" She asked. Hermione blushed, but Marlene just chuckled and kissed her lightly on the cheek before pulling away. She grabbed her notepad and pen, then turned to Hermione.
"Would you feel better if I let you plan with me? This is a rare occurrence, Granger. I never let the birthday girl plan her own party." She said, a playful smile on her lips. Hermione desperately fought down her blush.
"I suppose." She mumbled, leaning over to see the notepad as Marlene began writing ideas down. Lily moved to Marlene's other side and did the same thing, and that was how they stayed for a coupe of hours.
Apparently, birthday planning with Marlene was very intense.
September 18 1973
Sirius was ninety percent sure he was hallucinating.
There was actually no way that Marlene McKinnon and Lily Evans were in his dorm room, much less the dorm room he shared with James (and Peter and Remus, but that's besides the point).
"Well? Are you going to stare at us like an idiot, or are you going to help us?" Lily huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Sirius snapped out of his daze.
"Sorry. What do you need help with again?" Hey, they really couldn't blame him for not listening. They had to know this would nearly shock him to death.
Marlene rolled her eyes.
"We need your help to get into Hogsmeade. Hermione's birthday is tomorrow and she only told us yesterday, so we have no time to order anything by owl." She said exasperatedly. He looked up at them from where he was lounging on his bed.
"Granger's birthday is tomorrow?" He asked. Now Lily rolled her eyes.
"Yes, you big prat! Focus! Will you help us, or not?" She said in annoyance. He held up his hands in a placating gesture.
"Merlin, yes, I will. No need to get insulting." He grumbled standing up from his bed. However, he realized there was a slight problem with that. He needed James's cloak. Despite his best friends obvious infatuation with Evans, he wasn't sure that he'd be okay with Sirius divulging that little secret.
One look at Evans put a stop to any ideas of bailing. She looked ready to hex him at any given chance, and Marlene wasn't much better.
He bit his lip.
"Are you two any good at sneaking around?"
"Sirius Black, I am going to kill you!"
The words might have been more threatening if the red haired witch wasn't whispering them with a terrified look in her eye.
He'd led them through one-eyed witch passageway, which brought them directly into the cellar of Honeydukes. Apparently, Lily didn't fancy the idea of breaking in to a candy shop.
"Why? I'm helping you." He said, carefully listening for any sounds of footsteps upstairs.
"You broke us in to a store!" She whisper-shouted as he led them up the steps once her deemed that the coast was clear. The clerk seemed to be in their office, probably on break.
"Technically, it's not breaking in. The door was unlocked." He was sure she was about to whack him upside the head, but Marlene snorted and grabbed Lily's hand before she could.
"Lighten up, Lils. He's not exactly wrong." She snickered at Lily's appalled expression.
"Not you too!" She groaned. Marlene snickered, then turned to Sirius as he held the door open for them to exit the store.
"Mind if I use your secret passageway now that I know about it?" She asked. He shrugged his shoulders.
"As long as you don't get caught. I'd rather it not get sealed up." He said, and she grinned, turning to Lily.
"I'm going to buy us so much candy."
Lily buried her head in her hands and groaned.
