The lock clicked and carefully I pushed the door open.
I didn't know why I closed my eyes but I did.
I expected to be greeted with loud noises, but nothing happened.
Carefully I opened my eyes and I looked into the most loving eyes I knew.
Those of my grandpa.
But it wasn't just his eyes looking at me. There were three other pairs of eyes waiting eagerly for a reaction from me.
I was pushed further into the room from behind, which was necessary, because I probably wouldn't have voluntarily taken another step towards the pairs of eyes.
Grandpa came up to me and wrapped me in his arms.
"Happy birthday, little one", he whispered softly and I was so glad he was there.
I hadn't really wanted to see him until tomorrow because I thought his presence would remind me too much of Grandma but now at this moment I was just glad he was there.
He smelled of leather and pet food and I pressed a little closer to him.
I was home.
"Surprise", Hannah said joyfully as I disengaged from Grandpa's arms.
I was smiled at happily from every side and now I finally managed to match the other pairs of eyes.
They were all there, the people who meant the most in my life were here.
Here with me, for me.
A few minutes ago I only wanted to spend time with my friends, but now I could no longer imagine spending this birthday in any other way than with all these people.
Jacob and Queenie were the next to hug me and wish me well.
After that Min congratulated me one more time and Hannah and Neville also hugged me for the second time that day.
As they both moved to the side I looked into a pair of eyes I had been looking into for some time today.
Storm grey.
Draco's eyes.
"Draco?", I asked more than confused.
"Happy birthday Harper."
He smiled at me.
It had been a long time since he had called me by my fake last name and maybe I had missed it a little.
"You knew?", I asked.
He nodded.
"Abbot came to me on Tuesday and told me. But I knew it then."
"You knew?"
Again he nodded.
"You said it was written about your birth in the newspaper. I looked for the articles and found it. It was in there."
"Ah. Found out anything exciting you couldn't have just asked me?"
"Maybe." He grinned wryly.
There he was again, that was the Draco I knew. Wry grins, smart-aleck comments and an arrogance that was sometimes quite exhausting.
He took a step towards me and hugged me.
I froze briefly, as hugs were still not normal for him. But then I relaxed and put my arms around his upper body.
For a brief moment we were alone, just him and me and his engaging scent but then I realised we weren't alone.
The others, and Neville in particular, looked at us sceptically. Only Grandpa smiled.
We broke away from each other and I turned back to the rest of the group.
Hannah was the first to break free of her rigidity.
She took a step towards me, grabbed my arm and pulled me further into the room.
There was a large table set with a wonderfully fragrant dinner.
She pulled a chair back for me and I sat down.
The others also joined us.
Now we were all sitting at the table, me between Neville and my grandpa, and everyone was talking excitedly.
Jacob seemed to have taken a fancy to the person sitting next to him, Draco, and was constantly telling him something.
Knowing him, he would tell his favourite story. How he and Grandpa had gone up against Grindelwald together.
It was a great story no question but I wasn't sure how great Draco would find it.
Well, I was more worried about the fact that Jacob was a No-Maj and knew about the wizarding world and Draco certainly wouldn't tolerate that.
We laughed a lot and it was a really nice evening. Everyone got on brilliantly and even my worry about Draco had been unfounded, he seemed quite exuberant and at times I could almost glimpse a smile on his face.
I tried not to let on that I was watching him so much but I was sure Aunt Queenie picked up on it anyway.
She was just too good at interpersonal relationships, almost exhaustingly good.
She kept giving me meaningful looks but I always just shook my head and turned away.
At some point we moved on to gifts.
From Jacob and Queenie I got a new series of books by a No-Maj author and Min had also got me a book.
Hannah and Neville apologised for not getting me anything but I assured them I didn't want anything and this surprise was the best gift ever.
And up to that point it was, it really was the best present I had ever received.
And then it was Grandpa's turn.
He rummaged in his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope and a small black box.
"Open the box first", he instructed me, and I did as I was told.
Inside was a ring and not just any ring, I knew this piece of jewellery.
It was a delicate silver ring with a clear diamond in the centre. On either side of it were three petal-like stones, making the large diamond look like a flower.
My mom's engagement ring.
I had always been fascinated by this piece of jewellery. The few memories I had of it were all connected to me and my mom.
How we both sat on the sofa, me on her lap, twirling the ring incessantly.
I couldn't say why this ring had fascinated me so much, but now I stared at it in awe.
There was a small note stuck in the lid of the box and with trembling fingers I took it out.
I couldn't remember ever seeing my mother's handwriting but I recognised it immediately.
«For my little Flo,» I began to read.
Flo, no one had called me that for a long time.
I got goose bumps.
«For your seventeenth birthday.
This ring has always given you so much joy and I want you to wear it from now on.
Wherever you go it will be with you and so will I.
I am incredibly proud of you.
With infinite love, Mom.»
A tear rolled hotly down my cheek and I let it. I did not wipe it away.
The people here were allowed to see me cry.
I took the ring out of the box with trembling fingers and just stared at it.
"We found the note in her personal papers.
It was written in her will that you should get this ring on your seventeenth birthday. I've kept it safe all these years, I hope you're not mad at us that Tina and I never told you." Grandpa's voice was quiet as he explained himself.
I just shook my head and then fell around his neck.
"I love you."
That was the only thing I could get out without crying uncontrollably.
He stroked my back.
"It's best to open the other letter when you're alone," he whispered.
"It's from her", he added, and there was no doubt that this time she didn't mean my mum.
I nodded.
I looked at the ring on my finger, it fit perfectly.
It was perfect.
This gift was perfect.
For a short while everything was quiet, everyone was silent while I turned the ring back and forth on my finger, completely fascinated.
"Who wants cake?", Queenie broke the silence with her bright and friendly voice.
"Oh yes, absolutely", I replied gleefully, tearing myself away from the ring.
And with that, the tense silence was broken. Everyone was chatting again and enjoying the cake.
It turned out to be a long evening, full of conversation, far too many embarrassing anecdotes from my childhood and lots of laughter.
Never, and I mean never, could I have dreamed of having such a wonderful birthday.
At some point, when we were all stuffed and more than satisfied, we went to bed.
We had all had long days and everyone was longing for their bed.
Grandpa, Jacob and Queenie would stay the night and then leave at noon tomorrow.
Before that, we had decided to go to Hogsmeade together, just the four of us.
I sat on my bed, now in sleeping clothes, and stared at the ring again.
The light from the candle that lit the room refracted in the cut of the diamond and made it sparkle as if it had a flame in it.
The letter from my grandmother layed next to me.
I had not yet been able to bring myself to open it.
One look out of the window and I knew what I had to do.
The night was starry and if I was to read this letter, it would be now, under the stars.
I grabbed a hoodie and threw it over me.
I put the letter in my hoodie pocket.
As quietly as I could, I opened my door, slipped through the living room and closed the flat door without letting it squeak.
Immediately I transformed and headed for my favourite place under the stars.
The bench in the courtyard.
I pulled my legs against my body.
It was colder than I had expected and only now did I notice that I wasn't wearing shoes but only my cosy socks.
I didn't let that bother me and reached for the letter in my pocket.
On the front was my name in her beautifully curved handwriting.
I traced each letter with my fingers.
As carefully as I could, I loosened the wax seal on the back, careful not to break it.
Then I took out the parchment that was inside the envelope.
Immediately the typical lavender smell of her perfume hit me and I took it in completely.
It was as if she was standing right in front of me, the scent was so present.
I could do this. I was ready for this.
And I began to read.
«Dearest Florentine,
as I write this letter, today was your sixteenth birthday.
A truly beautiful day. I am very grateful that I was still able to spend it with you.
But I am weak, my strength to fight dwindles with each passing day.
But I'm ready for it, it's okay. I have made peace with myself.
When you read this letter it will be your seventeenth birthday and I will be dead.
I know you well enough to know that you haven't read the last word because you don't want it to be true.
I beg you, do it.
It's okay, I'll get better and you'll be okay too.
You are strong, Florentine Daisy Scamander. The strongest person I have ever known.
And I'm so incredibly proud of you.
You have endured so much in your young life but you have achieved so much more.
You are a miracle and every time you look at me with those wonderful big green eyes I can only marvel.
Amazement at the person you have become, despite everything.
I miss your father and mother every day but then I look at you and see them in you.
You are incredibly like them and you don't even know it.
You're just as stubborn as your dad and you got those unruly curls from him.
But your hair is the same colour as your mom's, just like your insatiable curiosity.
If it wasn't for you, your grandpa and I would have been devastated by their deaths.
But then you were there, this little bright child with the big green eyes, who needed us now more than anything else.
But actually we needed you much more than you needed us.
You gave us a purpose to get up every morning, a purpose to go on.
We would be nothing without you.
I would be nothing without you and I am so incredibly grateful for that.
I am thankful for every single day I spent with you, as exhausting and nerve-wracking as they were sometimes.
I wouldn't want to miss a single one of them.
I had a happy full life and even though I would have liked to spend more time with you and your grandpa, it's okay.
I've had my time and now it's yours.
I want you to live Florentine.
Live and be happy.
Bring joy to the world as you brought it to me and your grandpa.
Please don't be sad anymore and try not to cry so much.
Your smile is much too beautiful to hide.
I think I have said everything I had to say.
I hope you know how much your grandpa and I love you and how proud we are of you.
In eternal love
PS. Please take good care of your grandpa, he needs you.»
And I cried.
I could do nothing but cry.
I started to shiver but not because I was cold.
This letter felt like a gift from heaven, a gift from the stars.
It was everything.
It was everything I wanted to hear without knowing what it was.
It hurt so much to see her handwriting and think about how she had written it.
But it brought me so much hope and gave me so much strength as only hugs from her could.
That letter was like a hug, a final hug.
The tears that had been running down my face since the moment I had traced my name with my fingers dried as I stared up at the starry sky.
She was up there, she was still there, and she was looking out for me.
But most importantly, she was proud of me and that was all I wanted.
"You really shouldn't be out this late."
I wheeled around as I noticed a voice beside me.
Draco was looking down at me and there was something in his eyes that I would most likely describe as concern.
I pulled up my nose, which had started to run from the crying.
Very elegant.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm getting to know you well enough to know when something's wrong."
Again I sniffled.
He was right, we were actually getting to know each other pretty well.
"How long have you been here?", I asked quietly because I had a vague suspicion that he had been watching me for some time.
"Two minutes, maybe."
I raised my eyebrows.
"And I'm supposed to believe that?"
"Believe whatever you want."
He smiled slightly as he said this and I slid a little to the side so he could sit next to me on the bench.
Without giving it much thought, I leaned my head against his shoulder.
"A really nice night", he whispered softly after a few minutes of silence.
I nodded.
Again a short silence.
"How did you like your birthday?"
"It was different from what I expected but not in a negative way. It was just a bit much. I just needed to get some fresh air."
"It was the presents from your grandfather wasn't it?"
Again I nodded and now held my hand out to him with my mom's ring.
"My mom's engagement ring. I loved it a lot when I was a kid."
He grabbed my hand and turned it carefully to look at the ring in its entirety.
"A really beautiful ring. I would have been fascinated by that too."
I had to chuckle.
"I'm serious. I'm into pretty jewellery."
Now my giggle turned to laughter and I sat up.
"So you're actually a niffler?"
"On the inside, yeah probably."
"Is that your patronus too?"
I didn't realise how personal that question was until I asked it. I didn't even know if he was capable of producing a Patronus at all.
Especially with his past, it seemed absolutely within the realm of possibility.
"No, it's a ferret."
"A ferret? Seriously?"
I thought his patronus was a dragon or something, something powerful. But I really didn't expect a ferret.
"Yeah seriously though, I don't even need to ask about yours do I?"
I shook my head.
"A cat", he said out loud anyway.
"Oh yeah and remind me never to talk to you about my fourth year at school okay?"
Now I was getting curious.
"Go on, tell me. You can't just say something like that and then leave me hanging in the air like that. It's not fair!"
I poked him in the side.
"I'm not being fair. You should know that by now."
He grinned wryly at me.
His eyes now looked like the inside of an Okami egg in the moonlight and in the context of his grin, it was driving me crazy.
He looked so fucking good and he knew it.
He fucking knew it and that made me even more insane.
Now here I was, on my seventeenth birthday, sitting on a bench in the middle of the night, with the guy who was driving me crazy and I wanted to kiss him.
I wanted to kiss Draco Malfoy.
