Chapter Five - It's Hard Being Fifteen
Harry woke up on the morning of 31 July and immediately began to smile. He was fifteen today. He bounced out of bed and headed for the shower. He took pleasure in his routine, taking his time and giving due diligence to every bit. He broke the steamy air with a sung lyric from Wand Smasher.
"I'm alive and free by the power of the maaaagic! I gather elemental energy on my finger tiiiips! Calling forces unseen, commanding man and machine, I will fly to victory!"
When he was clean and groomed, he returned to his room and got dressed. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times and gave it up in despair. He would fix it before he left the house. He saw his books on the desk, and he smiled again, glad to ignore them for one day at least. Fifteen meant he was going into his fifth year at school, with the O.W.L. examinations awaiting him at the end. He had been trying very hard not to think too much about those. He'd chipped away slowly at the stack of homework, but it was very intimidating. He despaired of ever satisfying McGonagall's assignment. He'd poked through several books in the Black family library to help write several of his essays. There would be no homework for him today. Today was a day to celebrate and be with people he cared about. He shoved all thoughts of his assignments out of his mind. Harry left his bedroom and headed downstairs with a spring in his step. He couldn't wait for the party to get started.
Sirius, Remus, and Mr. Malfoy were already waiting for him when he got to the dining room.
"Happy birthday, Harry!"
"Thanks, Sirius."
"Take a seat. Kreacher's been hard at work since the crack of dawn. I hope you're hungry."
"Starving."
Harry was fifteen. He was always starving. He sat down in his chair.
Without warning, there was a tremendous explosion! Red and gold smoke filled the air around him! Harry flinched away, reaching for his wand. As the smoke curled up to the ceiling, silver and green confetti began raining down. A prank?
"Happy birthday!"
Kreacher appeared with a bang and set a golden plate in front of Harry. A stack of seven enormous pancakes was decorated with fifteen candles made of butter.
Harry waited until they were finished singing the birthday song to let the butter melt. He picked up the bottle of syrup and doused the magical flames. He picked up his fork and began to eat.
"This is delicious," he said between mouthfuls. Kreacher's buttermilk pancakes were fluffy and heavenly. They practically melted into his tongue.
Kreacher brought back another golden platter of pancakes for Sirius, Remus, and Mr. Malfoy.
During breakfast, many owls arrived from people Harry hadn't invited to his birthday party. He was quite gratified that the Head of the Department of Intermagical Cooperation himself had deigned to send a card. Then again, Percy Weasley was a stickler for formality.
Harry opened one card and was treated to the chorus from Christinia Drade's song Portrait.
"Age another year, add another layer, to the painting that becomes, the portrait of your life..."
Dear Harry,
Happy birthday! I wish I could be there this year, but with all the new security, I'm not surprised I didn't get an invitation. I hope you manage to have some fun. See you in the fall!
Hannah
"Clever bit of magic," Sirius observed. "Can it be shut off?"
"I think if I close the card."
It worked. The song ceased abruptly once the card was shut. Harry stuffed it back in the envelope so it wouldn't accidentally go off again.
"Which of your girlfriends was that from, Harry?" Remus asked.
"Hannah Abbott."
"Which one is Hannah again?" Sirius asked.
"Blonde. Hufflepuff. Legs."
"Right, right. She's the swimmer, yes? Too bad you didn't invite her to the pool party."
"Too many people. Gotta draw the line somewhere."
"I know, Harry, I know. I'm sorry about this."
"It's better than nothing," Harry said, keeping positive. "I've had nothing before. Trust me, this is better."
"Muggles," Mr. Malfoy muttered.
"Not today, Lucius," Sirius said warningly.
"That goes for you too, Sirius," Mr. Malfoy replied.
"It goes for both of you," Remus said firmly. "This is Harry's day, and you're not going to ruin it for him by bickering pointlessly."
"Of course, Remus," Sirius said. "Everything's fine."
Another owl arrived at that moment, and it turned out to be a card from Susan Bones.
Dear Harry,
I hope you get lots of galactic gifts. Happy birthday from me and Aunt Amelia!
Susan
"Who this time?" Sirius asked.
"Susan Bones."
"Her, I remember. Blonde as well, yes?"
"Yes."
"Braided. Hufflepuff. Director Bones' niece."
"The same."
"Got a thing for Hufflepuffs, eh, Harry?" Sirius said with a wink.
"I find Hufflepuffs to be very nice people."
"That they are."
After breakfast, Harry went back up to his room and checked his appearance in the mirror. His hair was still messy, but there was seldom anything he could do about it. It had settled down a bit once he'd begun his Animagus training, but today the comb was less than useless. Every time he tried to flatten his hair, it popped right back up again.
Frustrated, Harry threw the comb across the room. I wonder if Dad ever had this problem?
Looking as neat as it were possible under the circumstances, Harry headed back downstairs to the sitting room. Sirius, Remus, and Mr. Malfoy were waiting for him.
"Ready to go?" Sirius asked.
"I am. Shall we?"
"We shall."
Harry took Sirius' arm, and with a pop! they Disapparated.
They arrived in the alley behind the Three Broomsticks. Empty wooden crates and large barrels were scattered haphazardly. A collection of green glass bottles accumulated by a red-painted door with a sign reading "Staff Only".
Remus and Mr. Malfoy appeared a second later. Both men had their wands out, just in case of trouble. It never hurt to be too careful. Constant vigilance! They poked their heads out around the corner. Nothing untoward was discovered in the streets of Hogsmeade, and the four men quickly made for the front door.
Mrs. Malfoy was already waiting for them. So were most of the guests. The invitations had said to meet in the Three Broomsticks at noon. Apparently everyone had decided to be fashionably early.
The first person he saw was Daphne, and her customary crooked smile was firmly in place. She had worn a light, airy, silver robe over a white shirt. Her smooth legs poked out from a skirt that stopped well above her knees.
"If anyone could figure out how to have a party in the middle of a lockdown, I might have known it would be you, Harry," she said with a smirk. "Where is this mysterious place? Not here, certainly."
"Nope. Top secret. We'll be using a secret method to get there, too. Once everybody's here, I'll explain."
"Well how many people did you invite?"
"Only a few. Actually, I think everyone is here. I missed Millie there behind Crabbe."
"Well that's understandable. You could miss half the planet behind Crabbe."
"Daphne!" Harry said with a laugh. "Be nice."
"I am being nice!"
Harry stepped closer to the rest of the gang.
"Thanks for coming, everyone. To maintain security while we're all gathered together, we're going to be going to an undisclosed location. One by one, you'll all step into the back room there, and we'll go. I'll be on the other side to meet you."
"How mysterious," Ginny observed slyly, "and how very Slytherin of you to play it up."
Harry bowed slightly, earning him a laugh from Pansy, Daphne, and Laine.
"Up Slytherin!" Draco cheered.
"Up Slytherin!" echoed Arcen and Lucas.
Harry followed Sirius into the back room and closed the door behind him.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
With a pop! they Disapparated.
Harry had all he could to not fall down when they reached the inside of the Shrieking Shack. He steadied himself by grabbing Sirius' arm. Though he was gradually becoming accustomed to that mode of travel, two Apparitions in such close proximity had left him dizzy. Thankfully they were going to be here for awhile.
"I'll be right back."
Sure enough, he was, in no time at all. He brought Pansy with him.
Pansy looked completely non-plused after being Side-Along Apparated. She had gone without a robe today, wearing a fancy summer dress of pale blue. She'd chosen dangly gold earrings, rather than the Slytherin silver she usually favoured.
"How do you manage to always look like you just got done doing your hair?" he asked.
"Because I know secrets to hair styling that have nothing to do with magic."
"I guess so." Pansy's black hair was quite long, nearly to her waist. She hadn't cut it once since first year. It was always shiny and immaculate, yet she was never seen brushing at it between classes like many girls.
Harry spoke without considering his words. "You look great."
Pansy blushed. "Thank you. I hope you're not actually planning to ask me out."
"I might," he bantered. "What would you say if I did?"
"Honestly, I don't know." Pansy gave Harry a once-over, as though seriously considering him for the first time.
She could offer no further insight, as Draco was the next arrival. He was smartly dressed in a grey robe, buttoned up the front.
"Hi, Draco."
"Hi, Harry." Draco looked around. "Where are we?"
"The Shrieking Shack."
"Brilliant. This ought to be smashing good fun. Father's told me about some of the preparations."
"Draco, will you shut up about your father?" Pansy asked with exasperation. "Honestly. We're so tired of it. Can't you do anything on your own?"
"Actually, Pansy, I can, but I'm certainly not going to tell you about it."
"A likely story."
"Hey!" Harry protested. "Will you stop? Both of you? I don't want my birthday ruined by some pointless bickering."
"Of course, Harry," Pansy said immediately. "I'm so very sorry." She turned to Draco. "Hear that, Draco? Harry wants you to stop being a prat."
"Hey!"
Daphne's arrival precluded any further argument.
"Well, that's it for me," Sirius said. He was breathing heavy. "I think I can manage to get out, but I should rest before coming back."
"Don't Splinch yourself."
"Never."
These four Slytherins had been amazingly tight during the last school year. No matter where Harry went in the castle, Pansy, Daphne, and Draco had been with him. He had needed their support when everyone had been convinced that Harry had used some cunning trick to get himself into the Triwizard Tournament. Later, when the deadly nature of the Tasks had been revealed, the animosity had died down a bit, but they'd still stuck with him - true friends he could not have been more grateful for.
Remus was the next to start bringing in Harry's guests. His first passenger was Tracy. Despite himself, Harry couldn't help but notice how pretty Tracy looked. Her blonde hair was wavy, and she'd pulled it back out of her face. She'd done her makeup subtly, emphasizing her brilliant blue eyes.
"Hey, Tracy. Glad you could make it."
"Wouldn't miss it, Harry. Thanks for inviting me."
There had been problems with Tracy last year. She and Harry had dated briefly during third year, but Harry had decided he just wanted to be friends. He'd spent all of fourth year trying to discourage her, and she'd been incredibly thick about the whole thing. Now it all seemed to have passed, and Harry was glad to have his friend back.
Millie's arrival was punctuated by a few clumsy steps and a fall. She toppled a chair, swearing as good as any boy. The tomboy normally discounted fancy clothing, and today was no different. She wore a plain black robe, no makeup, and had her limp brown hair pulled back in a loose ponytail.
"All right, Millie?" Harry inquired.
"Bloody knee," she hissed, nursing that body part. "Wow, that hurts."
"Gotta be careful."
It had been a considered decision to invite Crabbe and Goyle. Their allegiences were still in question, and only by the secret nature of this very clandestine party were they allowed to be in such close proximity to Harry. They'd sworn not to try to kill him at the end of fourth year, their wands proving the truth of the oath, but the Imperius Curse could warp the mind of any wizard who succumbed to its insidious power. The behemoths had been absolute rubbish at resisting the curse, and that worried Harry greatly. He wanted his friends to fight by his side, and hopefully today's festivities would help them realize that it was far better than kissing the feet of Voldemort.
Remus was breathing heavy. "I think that's all for me. I'm going to pop back and tell the others."
Remus managed to bring himself back to the Shrieking Shack, though he immediately collapsed into a chair.
"Remus? Are you all right?"
"I will be, Harry. I'm just very tired."
The next ferryman was Mr. Malfoy, who arrived with Laine in tow. She was a year behind Harry in school, but she was as close as any of his other friends. She had a crush on him, but she still managed to behave with decorum. During the tournament, she'd helped him put together a plan for dealing with obnoxious inquiries and had acted as his public relations agent. Her sunny smile always buoyed his spirits.
"Hi, Laine."
"This looks to be quite a good time. I'm glad we were finally able to get out of the house."
"I know what you mean."
"It's crazy, isn't it?" Daphne asked. "I couldn't even go to Diagon Alley to get my books. Mum insisted that we send the order in by owl. She took all my measurements and sent the numbers to Madam Malkin. I do not want to think about how poorly my robes are going to fit this year."
"She's really paranoid, isn't she?" Harry said.
Daphne snorted rudely. "Paranoid doesn't even begin to cover it. I wouldn't be surprised if she tries to get the family out of the country. So far, Dad's been able to keep her from hysterics, but it's only a matter of time."
"Why's she so scared?"
"I really don't know. She flat-out refuses to talk about it to me or with Dad. He's trying to play it cool, but he's starting to get annoyed."
Ginny was the next to be delivered. Her red hair, which she usually wore in a tumbled fashion, had been neatly styled. Her warm brown eyes were a bit unfocused after the Side-Along, but she recovered quickly. She wore a simple green and white dress with a flowered print that modestly covered her knees.
"Ginny, thanks for coming."
"Wouldn't miss it, Harry. This is great fun," Ginny said, "and my parents don't even know I'm here."
"What?" Pansy exclaimed. "Where do they think you are?"
"Ginny's parents think she's at my house," Laine answered.
"How did you get permission to visit?" Pansy demanded.
"My father works at the Ministry. So does Mister Slater."
"Oh that's infuriating."
"Dad's trying to make a move with the new Ministry attitude being the way it is. If he can find a way to be useful, he can get out of the Centaur Office. So he lets me visit with Laine."
"I think she's just got a crush on my brother," Laine said slyly. "She thinks Lucas iscute."
Ginny laughed. "I didn't say that."
"No, you only wanted to know if he thought you were cute."
"Laine!"
The aforementioned Lucas was their next arrival. Though he'd been indistinguishable from his sister when they'd first been Sorted, he'd managed to become his own person. He'd finally convinced his parents to let him cut his hair, and now he kept it very short indeed. Despite it being summer, he wore a long-sleeved black robe.
"Aren't you hot in that thing?" Harry asked curiously.
"Not really. It's Indian silk."
"Very nice," Draco commented. "Father does quite a bit of business in India. Silk is on the expensive side."
"It certainly is. This was a gift from my grandfather when he died."
"I didn't get anything nearly so nice," Laine said without any bitterness, "but when grandmother passed on, she left me all her jewelry."
"So it evens out," Lucas said.
Arcen was the last guest. Millie's little brother didn't have anywhere near the disregard for appearances that she did. He was neatly groomed, with his brown hair combed flat on his head.
"Hey, all. Are we having fun yet?"
"Very soon," Harry promised. "We just need to get the rest of the adults here."
"I'll be right back," Mr. Malfoy said. With a pop!, he Disapparated.
To Harry's surprise, it was Mrs. Malfoy who brought Sirius. Mr. Malfoy appeared a moment later.
"See, Lucius, I am perfectly capable."
"You are a stubborn woman."
"Yes, I am, and you are a stubborn man."
Just then, the trap door in the middle of the room opened up and out crawled Theo Nott. He looked around at everyone, shrugged out of his cloak, and wandered out of the room in an apparent search for the cloakroom.
"Welcome to the party!" Sirius said loudly. "We have lots of food, we'll have the cake in a couple of hours, and the pool is right down that hall. Changing rooms are set up and everything."
"Wicked," Lucas said to Arcen.
"I know where I'm going," Pansy declared. "Daphne?"
"Absolutely." The two girls headed for the changing room. All the other kids were hot on their heels.
Harry was already wearing his swim trunks under his robes, so he shucked his clothes quickly and went directly to poolside. The adults hadn't transformed the room into a pool area; they'd simply cleared the room and flooded it. The water stopped abruptly at the doorway, about neck height.
"That's pretty tricky," Draco said admiringly. "Smashing idea."
There was perhaps no better way to get in than by running at the wall of water and diving head-first. Harry looked at Draco.
"Let's do it."
The water was delightfully warm. It felt as though the pool had been sitting under the summer sun for a week. Harry's exposure to swimming pools was somewhat limited. There was a pool at Malfoy Manor, but Harry and Draco were most often more interested in playing Quidditch. He'd gone swimming last summer with Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott at Hannah's house, but just the once.
"Not being able to go outside is an arduous hardship," Draco said. "I've been going down to the pool every day. It's quite a lot of fun, actually. I lift weights, I have a soak in the hot tub, and then do some laps."
It showed. Draco had always been thin, but his frame was buffing up nicely with all the weight-lifting he'd done over the past year and a half. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him.
"Lucky. I've had to just hit the bath when Sirius and I get done lifting."
"You been lifting every day?"
"Yeah. Does it show?"
"A bit, yeah."
"Good."
Theo emerged from the changing room, followed by Goyle and Crabbe. He was skinny and pale. He had scorned to join the others at the weight-lifting, what he termed a Muggle activity. He seemed even smaller, then, by comparison to Crabbe and Goyle. Those boys had always been big, but now they were muscular. Neither of them had what could properly be termed a neck. They had immediately jumped at the invitation to lift weights with Harry and Draco. Now their efforts had paid off. As big as they were, they were the only potential Beaters Harry could think of for the upcoming Quidditch season.
"Hey, Theo," Harry said. "Thanks for coming."
Theo didn't reply. He looked at Harry for several long seconds, his eyes empty. He turned away and waded into the water.
"Quiet, much?" Draco said.
"I'm surprised he's here at all," Harry replied. "After what he's been through? I can't even imagine."
"Me either. I don't know what to say to him. I don't know how to help him."
"Me either. Sirius said just to be there for him. So I invited him."
"He came. It's a start."
"What's a start?" Pansy asked from behind them.
Harry turned around and felt his eyes go wide. The girls had all changed into their swimsuits, and it seemed all he could see was naked flesh.
Standing in front of the group was Pansy, the most daring in a brilliant blue bikini. She had figured out some way to tan as well. Daphne had probably shared her invention with her best friend. Pansy looked fantastic, and from her poise, she knew it. She had braided her black hair up to keep it out of the water.
Daphne's blonde hair had been further bleached with all her sun exposure and was now very pale. Her tan was very dark, and the contrast with her skimpy pink one-piece was striking. For all the skin she was showing, it might as well have been a bikini. Harry had to tear his eyes away from her.
Millie wore a boring black tank suit. She generally didn't care for what she was wearing, and this was no different. She had taken her brown hair out of the simple ponytail, and it hung limply to her shoulders.
Tracy did care how she looked, and Harry had to admit she looked good. Her choice of a white one-piece worked. The front was decorated with a twisted black line that drew the eyes in. She'd done some fancy magic on her blonde hair, because now it was up and piled on her head like a beehive. It might have looked silly on a lot of girls, but not on Tracy. Woven with magic, it was much more grand than any Muggle could achieve.
Standing next to Pansy was Laine. She may have been a year behind the other girls, but she still looked very appealing in a purple swimsuit with sequins and designs on the front. It was a bold bit of work, consisting of only a front and a back, held together by strings at the neck, chest, and waist. Laine was slender and leggy. Her auburn hair was pulled up to keep it out of the water. Harry couldn't look away from her either. He'd seen the girls in his form change on the train before, but he'd never seen Laine's skin. She wasn't pale, per se, but she had nowhere near the sun exposure of the older girls.
Ginny was a redhead, and she had the typical fair skin that went with it. She'd gotten a bit of sun, and freckles had broken out all over her cheeks and shoulders. She looked a bit like a rose with her green swimsuit. It was a conservative one-piece, covering all of her chest and tying behind the neck.
"What's a start?" Pansy asked again. The boys had both been oogling the girls.
"Theo," Harry said, wrenching his eyes back to Pansy's face. "He's here."
"I admit, I'm surprised to see him. His father decide to turn against You-Know-Who, then?"
Harry and Draco exchanged a long glance. Harry shook his head slightly.
"No, but Theo did," was all he said, "and he's not dealing with it well. So I'm going to ask that nobody ask him about it. Let him come to us. There's more going on than you're aware, and it's not our place to say. Please just give him space and don't give him any grief. He'll tell you when he's ready."
"It's all solemn and such," Pansy observed.
"I'm being absolutely sincere."
"Okay, then. It'll be hard, but I'll do it."
"Thank you, Pansy."
"Is the water warm?"
"Find out for yourself," Draco needled her.
"Draco, if I can't abuse Theo, who do you think is going to take his place?"
"You already abuse me."
"I know, Draco. I know." Pansy had a bit of an evil smile when she wanted to. Not on the best of terms with Draco since the Yule Ball disaster when he had broken up with her to ask out Parvati Patil, they had maintained a frosty tolerance of each other. She was always quick to make sly comments about Draco or his character or his habits. It was much as she always had done with Theo.
"Daphne, see if the water's warm," Pansy said.
"Tracy, see if the water's warm," Daphne redirected.
"You two are so chicken," Tracy said flippantly. She stepped forward and poked one foot into the wall of water. "Ooh, it's great!" she said and got right in.
Pansy followed, then Daphne, Laine, Ginny, and Millie. Arcen and Lucas had yet to emerge from the changing room.
"Oh, this is fantastic," Pansy gushed. "What a wonderful idea. Harry, your godfather is a genius."
"Yes, he is."
"Anyone read the Prophet this morning?" she said.
No one had.
"There's more scandal with Gilderoy Lockhart."
"Oh no," Daphne said. "What's he done now?"
"He was found in flagrante delicto with the Spanish Mistress of Magic."
"He wasn't!"
"Oh yes."
"I can't believe no country has been willing to send him back so he can be properly arrested."
"The man's a disgrace," Harry said. "I bet they're all pointing at him and laughing at all Britons."
"Probably. He humiliates us all," Daphne agreed.
Arcen and Lucas were the last two boys in the changing room. Harry, Draco, and the others had already headed to the pool.
"I can't believe we're going swimming with the fifth years," Lucas said. "It's so tally. How lucky are we?"
"They're just fifth years," Arcen said. "It's nothing special."
"You're just saying that because one of them is your sister, but do you really get to hang out with them all that often?"
"At the World Cup."
"Yeah, special circumstance," Lucas said dismissively.
"We lift weights with Harry and Draco all the time," Arcen pointed out.
"Point. But we never hang out with the girls."
Light dawned on Arcen. "Oh, is that what you're on about?"
"Of course! We're going swimming with fifth year girls, Arcen! This is fantastic. They're going to be wearing swimsuits. They're going to be soaking wet. Yow, I can't wait to see how good they look."
"You need to calm down, Lucas," Arcen warned. "First of all, one of them is my sister, and if you look at her that way, I may have to hurt you."
Lucas shook his head. "Nah, I like Millie, but I'd much rather look at Tracy. Wow, she's gorgeous. And she's curvy, too."
"Yeah, she's pretty," Arcen said with a smile. "Daphne's feisty, though. I bet she could pull off a skimpy bikini."
"I'd like to pull a skimpy bikini off her," Lucas said rudely.
"Oh yeah. Put my face right between her boobs."
"Mmmm."
The two boys were silent for a moment.
"I hope you're going to keep it cool out there," Arcen said. "I don't want you to embarrass us both. You're not going to develop an inflexible wand, are you?"
"Of course not! Why, are you?"
"No!"
"Okay then! Let's go."
Eventually Arcen and Lucas joined them.
"What took you so long?" Daphne asked sassily.
"So are we doing anything, or are we just sitting here?" Lucas asked.
"I suppose we could play a game. Perhaps we could have a competition. It wouldn't be a true Slytherin party without some sort of competition."
"We could do some races. Who's fastest to do so many lengths of the room, and so on," Harry suggested.
"Sounds good. Let's do it."
There were six girls and six boys, not counting Theo, who sat by himself in the corner of the pool. The boys insisted on being the first to race. They lined up against the wall. The first to go the length of the room and back would be the winner.
"Ready?" Pansy called out. "Set. Go!"
Harry kicked off from the wall with a surge and began flailing mightily with his arms and kicking with his legs. He clawed his way through the water, not really knowing the tricks of how to go for distance with minimal effort. He made a great deal of splash and noise, but he'd never had any instruction on his form. He made progress through the water, but was quickly outdistanced by the others. Harry tried his best, but he was a mediocre swimmer at best. He'd gotten through the Second Task, but he still didn't really know what he was doing.
Draco won the race, a combination of strong strokes and good technique. Goyle and Crabbe were both big and lumbering in the water, while Arcen and Lucas were still growing into their bodies.
Then it was the girls' turn to race.
"Let's go!" Millie said, hurrying to the starting point.
"No, I think I'm just going to lounge," Pansy declared. "Maybe do a few slow laps later."
"I'll join you," Daphne said. "The only thing we're missing in here is an artificial sun."
"The window seat will do," Laine suggested.
"Yes, it's perfect," Pansy said.
Pansy and Daphne moved towards the windowseat. Laine looked back as Ginny hesitated.
"Come on, Ginny."
"But-" The redhead looked longingly at the starting line where Millie was standing with her arms folded across her chest.
"Ginny!" Laine hissed. "What are you waiting for? We are hanging out with the older girls!"
"But I wanted to race."
"You'd rather race than sit with Pansy Parkinson?" Laine sounded like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"So we can gossip about stupid stuff? I can only take so much of that."
"You think Pansy is going to talk celebrity scandals with a war on? Ginny, wake up. She's going to want to know where our families and our friends' families stand. You have been asking questions, I suppose?"
Ginny scowled. "Nobody will tell me anything. Dad says he doesn't know why anyone in the Ministry would listen to a thing he said and that nobody has anything to say to him. I still don't even know how come Charlie is home. He won't answer any questions. When pressed, he just asks Mum if she's glad to see him, and she goes all to pieces. Bloody unfair."
"What of your brothers? Surely they've been in communication with their friends?"
"Well yes, but-"
"You at least know who? You have a good feel for your brothers, yes? Then Pansy will want to know. She'll put it all together. Now come on!"
Ginny let herself be dragged away as Pansy glanced at Laine inquisitively.
As none of the girls other than Millie wanted to race, the boys got to go again. She joined them. The girls remained in the nook under the window, basking in the sunlight that streamed through the glass.
Harry did a few more races, and when he tired, he leaned against the wall and watched the others. Draco and Millie continued to dominate. Harry's attention wandered over to the girls. They weren't even watching the racing. They were talking amongst themselves.
Draco won again, got two up on Millie, and decided to retire. He waved the others on to one more race and leaned up against the wall next to Harry. Millie went and joined the girls at the window.
"So here's what we do," Draco said quietly, even though the girls were metres away. "We swim slowly under the water, sneak up on the girls, and grab them."
"Sounds smashing. They'll scream."
"That's the whole point."
"Hang on," Harry said. He ducked back into the changing room and fished his wand out of his pocket. He surreptitiously slipped back into the water. The girls hadn't noticed him leave. "This will help."
The Bubblehead Charm was something Harry had first learned while pursuing solutions to the Second Task.
"Let's go. Slowly now."
It was almost too easy. Harry glanced up and realized the legs in front of him belonged to Ginny. He admired them for a moment and checked to see if Draco was in position. He'd targeted Tracy.
Now!
Twin shrieks of surprise rang in the room as Ginny and Tracy were both yanked under. Quickly the boys grabbed for more legs, sending Pansy, Daphne, and Laine beneath the surface. Millie, however, lashed out with a foot and caught Draco square in the face.
"Ow!" he howled, clutching at his nose. His voice was distorted by the water. "I think you broke my nose!"
"Malfoy!" Millie yelled. "What are you doing?"
Draco emerged from the water. The bubble dissolved. "I'm being injured, I am."
"I'm being attacked!"
He gingerly touched his nose. His fingers came away red with blood. "I'm bleeding! Look at this!"
Now the other girls had finished sputtering and coughing.
"Malfoy!" "Potter!"
"Get them!"
Harry dove under the surface again and swam as fast as he could. It was not fast enough. Daphne, Ginny, and Laine caught him. They dragged him back to where Millie had Draco's arm twisted behind his head and Pansy was glaring at him as water dripped out of her hair. Tracy looked like she was ready to slug Draco, and her runny makeup made her look downright scary. Draco looked like he didn't need any more punishment; his nose dripped blood.
"Which one of you morons thought that would be funny?" Pansy demanded.
Harry and Draco remained silent.
"I see. Very well, then, we'll just have to hurt you both."
"Do your worst," Draco said bravely, which was amazing considering he was dripping blood.
"You couldn't handle my worst. Somehow I think this was your idea."
"Now that's just not fair."
"Harry is a caring, sensitive boy who occasionally listens to a first-class, grade-A prat named Malfoy. He would never come up with a dastardly plan like that," Tracy declared.
"I'll be leaving, then," Harry suggested.
"Oh no," Daphne said quickly. "You still took part. You're going to be punished, just not as bad."
"Draco gets stuck to the wall," Pansy decided. "Somebody good at Charms go get your wand. As for Harry?" she considered, one finger pressed against her cheek in thought. "The punishment must fit the crime. You want to tease girls? You want to act like bad boys and try to get us to pay attention to you? You want to act flirty and make a move? Granted. Your punishment is kisses."
"What?" Harry exclaimed.
"Kisses," said Daphne. "How perfect."
"One good solid smooch each, I'd say," Pansy considered.
"This is insane. Let go of me immediately. I'm- I'm a prefect, and I'm going to give you all detention!"
"I'm a prefect too, Harry," Pansy said with a wide smirk, "and I nullify your detentions. You're not getting out of this one. Me first."
"Pansy?" Harry said, starting to feel a little panicked. "Pansy, what are you doing? What about Terry? You're not going to really kiss me, are you?"
Yes, she really was.
Pansy put her hands on either side of his face and pulled his head down. Their lips met, and for a moment the world stopped.
"Happy birthday," Pansy said breathily as she let go of him.
Harry's face was flaming red. Oh, he was embarassed. Before he could even begin to process having kissed - been kissed - by Pansy, another girl leaned towards him.
"Daphne?"
Harry's coffee date had kissed him once before. She'd learned a lot since then. When she was done, Harry was breathless. Merlin help him, he wanted that kiss to go on.
"If Viktor finds out I was kissing Harry, he probably wouldn't be too happy. I'll pass."
"It's all in good fun, Millie," Pansy said, still smiling broadly.
"Is that what you plan to tell Terry?"
"Yes, actually. If I have to. I wasn't actually planning on letting him find out."
Tracy looked at Harry very longingly, but she turned away without a word.
Laine and Ginny were the last two girls left. Ginny gestured towards Harry. "You first," she said.
"I think not," she said primly. "Go ahead if you want to, but I am not going to throw myself at Harry just because he's landed himself in a spot of trouble."
Ginny shrugged. She looked at Harry and began to blush. "It's all in good fun," she said. She pecked him lightly on the lips. "Happy birthday."
"Here, what's all this then?" Goyle and the other boys were done with laps.
"Nothing at all. Just a little playing around."
"Why does Mils have Draco in an armlock?"
"Why shouldn't Mils have Draco in an armlock?" Pansy retorted.
Goyle stopped to think about that, and he kept thinking.
"Don't let him hurt himself," Harry requested, his wits still scattered. His vision was still spinning. Wow.
Daphne laughed. "Quick, show him some food."
"Is there food?" Crabbe piped up. "I'm hungry."
"Naturally, fathead. Yes, I think there's food. Right, Harry?"
"Yes. I'm hungry too."
"Hang on, we still have to stick Draco to the wall," Pansy said.
But they didn't.
Everyone made for the changing rooms to towel off and put on clothing again.
"Oh my goodness, did you see his face?" Pansy exclaimed as the girls returned to the privacy of the changing room.
"I didn't know it was possible to turn that red," Daphne said agreeably.
"I know it's his birthday, but that doesn't mean we all shouldn't get a present too," Pansy said. "Though I'm surprised some people didn't jump at the chance. Millie I can understand. Viktor probably wouldn't mind, but I respect her sense of loyalty."
"He probably wouldn't," Millie said, "but why take a chance and risk a big fight?"
"I understand completely. Laine, what's your excuse? I know you like him. I gave you a golden opportunity to lock lips, and yet you demurred. Did you suddenly get shy?"
"Don't be absurd," Laine said with a laugh. "When have I ever been shy around him?"
"First year."
She laughed. "Okay, that's fair. I just didn't want to get lost in the haze. He was so glassy-eyed that he could have been kissing Crabbe and not noticed."
"So you were worried that your kiss wouldn't be memorable?" Pansy said archly.
Laine stuck out her tongue. "I'd rather have him all to myself than have to share him with everyone else."
"That's fair."
"Well, that was good fun," Lucas said. "What did you guys do?"
"We dunked them," Draco replied. "Swam under the water and pulled them down."
"I can't believe you did that to Millie," Arcen chuckled, shaking his head. "No wonder she nearly ripped your arm off."
"So why was Ginny kissing Harry?" Lucas wanted to know. "That doesn't make sense. You made a girl's head go under water, ruin her make-up, wreck her hair, and she kisses you?"
Harry felt himself start to blush a bit. When one considered it like that, it sounded awful. It didn't sound much better when one looked at the truth from his perspective.
"Blame Pansy for that one," Harry said. "She decided that we'd done what we did because we were being saucy with them. Then she declared that my punishment was to get exactly what I'd wanted."
"I can't believe she kissed you," Draco said, shaking his head. "First she takes up with Terry; now she's snogging my best mate. The girl hates me."
"You did bunk it up pretty badly," Harry told him. "Asking out her worst enemy just to make a point was over the line, and you knew it."
"She made me crazy. What else can I say? She wouldn't let up about the damned ball, not once asking me what I thought about any of it. That's not right."
"You still didn't have to ask Parvati."
"You're the one who gave me the idea."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Whatever. It was fun while it lasted, but now you've got to deal with how you treated Pansy.
"Well, won't that be fun," Draco grumbled, moving his arm around to stretch the shoulder he'd had wrenched for him.
"It has been for me so far," Harry said, lightly mocking. "I think I'm still dizzy."
"Pansy and Daphne," Draco exclaimed. "This is reminding me of that Christmas party at Greengrass's house when you were snogging with Daphne and Laine."
"What!" Lucas burst out. "You snogged my sister two years ago!"
"More like she snogged me," Harry defended. "I accidentally stood under some mistletoe, and she caught me."
"I don't know how he does it," Draco said deploringly, "but girls just throw themselves at Harry."
"Famous git," Arcen muttered.
Draco kept going. "Look at that classmate of yours, Lucas, who burned all of her standing just to have half a night with him."
"Michelle?"
"Yeah. Your sister was not pleased with that little stunt."
"I think she even got some of the upper year students to hex her," Arcen contributed, being careless with his pronouns.
"Laine had Michelle hexed?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"I'm surprised she hasn't been forced to leave school," Lucas said. "Laine didn't take the stab in the back lightly."
Harry knew about Laine's romantic interest in him, but he'd tried to keep from acknowledging it while avoiding Tracy and asking out Padma. She hadn't pushed the issue, and they'd been able to maintain a friendship. While Harry knew Laine had stopped talking to Michelle and encouraged others to do the same, he hadn't known about the hexing.
"It's not like I go looking for this."
"I know, mate, I know," Draco said with a sigh. "That's what makes it all the worse."
"But she didn't take advantage of the situation just now," Harry mused, suddenly thoughtful.
"Yeah, but Ginny sure did." Draco snickered. "Oh, wait until I tell Weasel about this."
"Don't you dare," Harry ordered. "I'm the one who gets to do it."
They had finished dressing by now. In the corridor they met the girls, and everyone headed for the dining room.
Sirius, Remus, and Mrs. Malfoy were sitting at the dining room table.
"Where did Father go?"
"He could not remain without endangering us. He returned to the House of Black."
Mr. Malfoy had left in order to not draw the attention of Voldemort to the party. Whenever he remained in one place for too long, Death Eaters would show up and attempt to kill him. It was hard to have to Apparate every thirty-three minutes. Mr. Malfoy was safe only so long as he remained under a Fidelius Charm or at Hogwarts where the protections were ancient and powerful.
"But he did request that we all have a good time anyway," Remus said. "What happened to your nose?"
"Ran into a wall."
"A wall named Millie," Arcen said with a snicker.
"Come here, Draco," Remus said. He drew his wand. "Episkey!"
Draco yelped, but he touched his nose with both hands. There was no blood. "It's fixed!" he said with amazement. "I'm not bleeding!"
"Quite a handy little spell, that."
Kreacher had outdone himself with the food again. All of Harry's favourites were present. There were several courses, and everything tasted so good. Harry ate and ate, wondering how he was packing it all away. Crabbe and Goyle, naturally, consumed enough to feed a small army. Kreacher beamed as he filled the serving plates again and again.
After everyone had finished eating, Harry opened his presents. His friends had been both thoughtful and appropriate. There were the usual clothes from parents, music crystals from the lads, and assorted books and such from the ladies. He particularly liked the emerald cufflinks that came from the Malfoys. He didn't know when his next occasion to get up fancy would be, but he would be dressed to impress.
"Thank you, everyone," he said sincerely.
When all the presents were opened, admired, and appreciated, it was time for dessert. The birthday cake was magnificent. Seven layers and filled with custard, jam, and Butterbeer.
"I shouldn't be having any of this," Tracy said to Millie, "but I can't stop myself."
"Oh, stop complaining about your figure and enjoy it," Millie replied, stuffing a huge bite in her mouth. "If you can't stop, you might as well not feel guilty about it."
After the cake was finished, the hour had grown somewhat late. Dusk was the new curfew the Ministry had established. It was time to start heading back to town. One by one, Harry's guests were Side-Along Apparated back to Hogsmeade. Harry said goodbye to each as they left.
Draco and his mother left. Finally it was only Sirius, Remus, and Harry.
"Well, back home, then?" Sirius asked.
"Yes. I had a good time. Thank you."
"Our pleasure, Harry," Remus said. "It was fun."
They returned to Grimmauld Place. Mr. Malfoy was in the sitting room reading the newspaper.
"How did it go?" he asked.
"Delightful. Thank you again for helping to make it possible."
"My pleasure, Harry. There's another present for you from Elan. I put it in your room."
Harry found the box on his bed. It was wrapped in shiny green paper and tied with a dark green ribbon. Harry untied the ribbon and tore off the paper. Inside he found a magnificent mirror with an elaborately decorated frame. Though he had a functional mirror, this one tilted and swivelled to show him all kinds of angles. What a great present! He immediately set it on his dresser and admired it.
"Hello, there!"
Harry nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Who's there?"
"I am Shoshi, your Reflective Friend. I am here to provide the pinacle of fashion advice and help you look your absolute best to the rest of the world. What is your name, friend?"
Harry felt a little weirded by a talking mirror. He had a sudden strong reminder of Tom Riddle's diary.
"My name is Harry Potter."
"It is a pleasure to serve you, Harry Potter. Now, present your wardrobe for me."
Any suspicion that this might be another evil artefact vanished as Harry was made to show every single piece of clothing he owned to the mirror. Thankfully, Harry had managed to master the Levitation Charms suitable for this task. The whole task took nearly an hour.
"Well," the mirror declared. "I've seen worse."
"Weren't you brand new?"
"Yes, but it's- Do you really want the technical details?"
"Not really."
"Then trust me, dear, I've seen worse. Looking at you, hrmm. Well, I can work with it. Take off those robes for me."
"What?!" Harry blushed to the roots of his hair. "I'm not taking off my robes."
"I need to see your frame. Robes cover up a lot. If I am to do my job properly, I need to see what I'm working with."
It's only a mirror, Harry told himself as he slowly pulled off the robes he'd worn to his party. It's only a magic mirror, not a real girl.
"Well, not bad at all," the mirror said somewhat admiringly. "Very muscular. You lift weights."
"How can you tell?"
"Harry, I am a Reflective Friend. I am a top-line magical mirror. It's what I do. Now, tell me about your social life."
Harry groaned and wondered if Elan secretly hated him.
Ginny lay down on her bed at home and hugged herself tightly. She was so happy she thought she might burst.
I kissed Harry Potter.
It was still unbelievable. She, like many other young girls, had had a crush on The Boy Who Lived ever since she had been old enough to understand his defeat of Voldemort. How could one not fancy the saviour of the world? As she'd gotten older and learned more about it, how he had lost his parents and been exiled to grow up with Muggles, she had also been sad for him. She'd had many daydreams about being the witch who found him and rescued him.
Of course he had ended up rescuing her from the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry had let her hang around with him and his friends towards the end of her first year. In her second, the Slytherin girls had invited her to join them. He'd always taken an interest in her well-being, and she had dared to hope he might think of her as a friend. They'd gotten closer during her third year, when she formed part of the guard detail that escorted him from class to class.
She'd been thrilled to get an invitation to his birthday party again. With the war and all the security now required, she'd resigned herself to not going. It had taken an outright lie to her parents in order to manage it at all. She'd been part of a very small group, something which raised her appreciation another notch.
Ginny had been very nervous about going in front of the boys in her swimsuit. The girls in Slytherin spent a lot of time talking about boobs and hips, specifically in comparison to other girls at school. There was a list that was updated frequently. Ginny knew she wasn't overly endowed in either department, and the idea of the boys passing judgement on her body was extremely distressing.
The swimming part had been a lot of fun, right up to the end. She still wasn't sure how it had happened, but Draco and Harry had pulled the girls underwater for a prank. Pansy had decided that Harry's punishment would be kisses and all the girls would get a chance.
It wasn't how she'd imagined her first kiss. There was no romance involved at all. With Laine right there watching her, Ginny couldn't even kiss Harry as thoroughly as she wanted to. Laine had destroyed Michelle for manipulating her way into a date with Harry. If Ginny had gone beyond a simple smooch on the lips, she was sure Laine's fury would turn on her too. Laine had it bad for Harry, and she hadn't even taken the opportunity to lock lips with him.
As bad as doing it in front of Laine had been, somehow Tracy's presence had been worse. She and Harry had actually dated in their third year. Despite breaking up, everyone knew she still had strong feelings for him. She had spent her fourth year pining over him, only seeming to let it go recently. Tracy had turned away when offered her turn to kiss Harry. Ginny felt guilty for enjoying something at Tracy's expense.
Oh, had she enjoyed it!
She could never tell anyone. Any of the Slytherin girls would invariably tell Laine, and Laine would make her life Hell. She couldn't tell her brothers. Fred and George would take the mickey out of her without fail, and Merlin only knew how long it would go on. Ron would explode and accuse her of fraternising with the enemy. He hated that she had joined Slytherin House. Percy wouldn't approve either, though for different reasons. He would say she was too young for such things and most likely tell Mum. She couldn't let Mum know either, not if she ever wanted to be allowed to leave the house again.
So she hugged herself and cherished the memory. She pulled off her clothes and got ready for bed, replaying the brief kiss over and over in her mind. She slipped between the sheets and turned out the light, wondering how she was going to sleep. She rested her head on her pillow, closing her eyes, wondering if she would dream about him.