Grace woke up the next morning to Lavender and Parvati giggling loudly as they got ready. She yawned as she sat up, looking tiredly at Hermione, who was making sure she had all her books in her bag, then turned to see Lavender and Parvati put dangling, heart-shaped earrings in. "Oh Gracie, look a little more cheerful!" Lavender said as she turned to look at her.
"Yes! It's Valentines day! The day forlove! After last night, you'd think you'd be happier!" Parvati teased and Grace groaned. It was Valentines day! How could she have forgotten! "Oh we're just teasing!"
"Yeah! Whatever you and Harry did last night that had you come to bed so late, is completely your business" Lavender nodded and Grace groaned again, falling back into her pillow and throwing her blanket over her head.
"Oh, will you two stop," Hermione huffed. Seconds later, Grace's blanket was ripped from her head, and Hermione stood with her hands on her hips. Now, get up and get dressed! We're going to be late for breakfast."
"But Hermione!" Grace groaned and reached for her blanket again, but Hermione pulled it off the bed. "I don't want to go to breakfast! It's going to be awful!"
"Oh, Grace, it's only one day! It's a silly holiday!" Hermione huffed and walked to her bed. Grace groaned. It wasn't just a silly holiday, not to Grace. She sighed and got out of bed, then got dressed. She muttered the charm that smoothed out the frizz and defined her curls.
"Here!" Lavender said, shoving a pair of danging heart earrings in her hands, and Parvati did the same to Hermione. "I've got us all a pair!" Hermione saw the pleading look on the girls face and sighed before putting them in. Grace stared at them. "Please Gracie? You've got the really nice red ones that sparkle! They'll look so perfect with your hair!"
"Fine," she sighed in defeat and took the earrings and placed them in her ears. "Thank you, they are nice," she told Lavender, who smiled at her.
The four girls then decided to go down to the Great Hall together. Grace's face scrunched up when they walked into the Great Hall. Everything was decorated in reds, whites, and pinks, the ceiling was enchanted to have heart shaped clouds that were 'raining' rose petals and glitter. "Oh it's so beautiful!" Lavender squealed as they sat at the Gryffindor table, and Grace grunted.
"Looks like somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, eh?" Fred teased and Grace glared at him.
"Must not have had enough sleep, with you know, coming in late from a midnight stroll with Harry," George continued. Grace's cheeks turned red, making the twins laugh loudly.
"I'll tell Aunt Molly what you two've got cooking up here at school if you don't shut your gobs!" Grace snapped at them.
"You wouldn't!" Fred gasped.
"Try me."
"But you're thesweetone, little Gracie-racie!" George started.
"You're not supposed totell!" Fred continued.
"I will if you two won't shut up!"
"Fine, have your secret meetings."
" We don't want to know what's going on with a bunch of thirteen year olds in the dark corners of the castle anyway."
Grace rolled her eyes as she started piling her food on her plate. She felt eyes on her, so she looked up to see all her friends looking at her with concern. "What?"
"You, er, alright?" Harry asked carefully from beside her.
"I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Harry..."
"Yeah?"
"Eat your breakfast."
"Right," he nodded and took a bite of his sausage.
"Mail's here! I wonder if Harry's going to get a Valentines-gram again!" Ron joked, and Grace noticed Ginny's cheeks turn red. "Looks like Grace has some!"
"What?" She frowned as she noticed two owls swoop down and drop two packages down in front of her. She picked up one, it was a pink envelope with a gold ribbon. She stared at it warily before breaking the seal and opening it. A loud explosion erupted as confetti exploded around her, and little sparklers shooting up, and a large glitter banner read 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!'. Oh no... She looked down at the note.
I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to shout at you, especially when it was minutes into your birthday. Enjoy the chocolate, I don't expect you to share. And please see me after classes have finished, I have something else for you.
Happy birthday, little niffler.
Remus.
"Hey, someone's got the date wrong!" Ron exclaimed, frowning in confusion at the banner. "Your birthday is in two weeks! The day before mine!" Grace grimaced, and turned to the teacher's table to see Remus trying not to laugh into his goblet. He mouthed 'sorry' to her, but she knew he wasn't. Remus was the only person who ever sent her something on her birthday. She always opened her birthday letters from Remus away from everyone because she always knew he did something extravagant like that. She narrowed her eyes at him, knowing that he disguised this years card to look like a Valentine just so she would open it.
"No, no, they didn't," Grace sighed in defeat. She supposed the secret is out now.
"What?" Ron blinked. "But – but we've always celebrated your birthday and mine together since they were next to each other!" Grace shook her head.
"Mum and Aunt Molly thought it would be easier if we celebrated together since we're only two weeks apart," she told the fact that Mum hates my birthday, and prefers to celebrate it on the twenty-eighth, Grace thought to herself.
"How come you never told us?" Hermione asked. "Oh, no! Your present isn't supposed to arrive until right before the twenty-eighth!"
"Hermione, it's fine," Grace assured her. "Really. The only person I've ever celebrated my birthday withonmy actual birthday was Re-Professor Lupin. I've gotten used to celebrating it at the end of the month," she shrugged as she looked in the shabby wrapped package, and smiled at the abundance of chocolates.
"What's in that one?" Harry asked, nodding to the other small package. Grace looked at it, and noticed the familiar handwriting.
"Oh, it's just something from my Mum," Grace answered quickly, stuffing the package into her bag under the table.
Grace ignored the looks from her friends for the rest of Breakfast, and when it was time for classes, she stood up and made her way to Divination, ignoring everyone.
When she reached the North Tower and entered the classroom, she went to a table on the ground portion of the classroom and started getting her book out. She huffed as she pulled her Divination book out of her bag, and started flipping to the palmistry section of the text. She didn'thatepalmistry, but she doesn't enjoy it like she does tasseomancy.
"Hey," Harry whispered as he took the seat across from her. She looked at him, and he gave her a small smile.
"I thought you were sitting with Ron?"
"I wanted to sit with you," Harry shrugged as he pulled out his book. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure-"
"Harry," Grace cut him off and gave him a look.
"Do you really hate your birthday?" he asked her gently.
"I don'thateit, I just... it kind of always gotten overlooked because it's on Valentine's Day, and my mom hates today so we always celebrated with Ron's birthday. I always only celebrated with Remus on my actual birthday, and he always made it special in some way."
"Well now that I know it'sreallytoday," Harry started. "I'll make sure next year's is really special." Grace's cheeks burned and she looked down at her book.
"Good morning," Professor Trelawney greeted them airily. "Today, to match with the festivities, we will be focusing on the heart line of our palms!" She announced and Grace groaned quietly. "I want one boy and one girl per table, today," she smiled. Then her hand rested on Grace's shoulder. "Don't worry, my dear, he'll realize his feelings for you in due time," she said, patting her shoulder before going to the next table.
Grace's face went red, then she groaned and she hid her face in her arms. "Who is she talking about?" Harry whispered, leaning closer over the table. "Gracie?" he asked, poking her arms. "Is it Neville?" he whispered curiously. Her head shot up and she glared at him. He looked at her with fear and leaned back in his seat. "Right, I'll shut up," he nodded and she sat up straighter.
"I want you all to rest your right hand, palm up, in front of your partner, and identify the heart line," Professor Trelawney instructed. Grace laid her right hand, palm up, across the table as Harry did the same.
Grace couldn't hear what else Professor Trelawney was saying, her heart was beating loudly in her ear as she stared down at Harry's hand. She'd held Harry's hands so many times before, she was used to it by now, but for some reason, she was struggling. She kept thinking about Trelawney's words 'he'll realize his feelings for you in due time'. Did that mean that Harry likes her too? If he did, that means he just hasn't realized it yet... right? Or maybe Trelawney was talking about someone else? No, it had to be Harry... right?
She glanced at Harry who squinted at his book, reading it, and glanced back at her hand. She smiled at him, she thought it was cute that he tried on the days he partnered with her, because he knew that she enjoyed the class. Her heart fluttered in her chest, as her smile softened as she continued to watch him. Harry glanced up at her and blinked, frowning in confusion. "You alright?" he asked her. Grace blushed and nodded before looking down at his hand.
Grace shivered when she felt Harry lightly trace her heartline. She should've partnered with Ron, this was becoming too much for her to concentrate.
As soon as class ended, Grace bolted from her seat and nearly ran out of the classroom. "What's wrong?" Hermione asked, pulling her to a stop outside of the charms classroom.
"How-how did you get here so fast? You were just in the Divination classroom? I left before everyone?" Grace asked, confused but Hermione shook her head.
"What's wrong?" She asked again.
"Nothing, just... overwhelmed," Grace answered. "Sit with me?" She asked, not wanting to end up sitting next to Harry for the second class in a row. She might combust.
When they found their seats, Grace noticed the look of disappointment on Harry's face when he saw that she and Hermione were sitting together. He thought it was also odd since the two of themneversit together in classes.
Grace was quiet for the rest of their morning classes and was quiet throughout lunch. She finished early, after only ten minutes, and quickly excused herself. Ron, Harry, and Hermione all looked at each other with worry before turning to Neville, but he only shrugged.
She decided she was going to take the free time she did have and sit outside for the rest of lunch before heading to Potions. She sat down at her tree and pulled out her package from her bag. She traced her name on the envelope lightly, knowing immediately whose handwriting it was. It was her father's. She's memorized it by now, having read the letter she received at Christmas every night since.
She looked at the small, black, box with curiosity and opened it slowly. She gasped at the beautiful necklace inside. It was a circular pendant made of amethyst, her birthstone, and a little golden star charm at the top. The chain appeared to be shorter than the golden snitch watch necklace Harry had gotten her for Christmas (which she never takes off and it hangs below her breasts), she knew she'd be able to hide it under her uniform with no problem. She ran her fingers over the stone and the star charm and smiled. Then she picked up the piece of folded parchment and began to read.
Grace,
I can't believe you're fourteen years old. I still remember the moment that you were born, the exact moment that I held you in my arms for the first time. You were so small, so precious. I remember the way your little hand held my finger, and I promised myself, and you, that I would never let anything happen to you. I wish I could've kept it, or at least done a better job than I have... but I've been trying to make up for the lost time. As you have guessed, it was me that you heard on Halloween night.
I hope you like the necklace. I had it made when you were a baby, hoping to one day give it to you when you were older. I've had it stashed away in our vault in Gringotts, but I thought now would be the best time to give it to you. Fourteen is a special age, I think. I hope one day soon you'll be able to tell me yourself if I made the right choice to give it to you now as opposed to later.
The amethyst, as you know, is your birthstone. I was hoping you would be born in January so your birthstone would be garnet, as it's red and I knew you would be a Gryffindor just like your mum and I. However, you had other plans. You were late, and you drove your mother mad, she couldn't wait to have you, and neither could I. I wanted to meet you, my little star. That's what I called you when your mother was pregnant, and what I called you even after you were born.
Which leads to the charm: a star. You were born in the early hours of the morning before the sun started to rise, and in the sky that morning I could see Venus, also known as the morning star, and since you were born on February 14th (Valentine's Day), the day of love, and Venus was the planet of love, it was only fitting that we'd name you that. Well, I named you Grace Venus, your mother wanted to name you Gracia Danica. I thought it sounded horrendous, and she thought the same, so we compromised on Gracia Venus. Even though I know you hate the name Gracia, just know that I was not a fan either. Grace suits you more.
You're beautiful, and my breath is taken away every time I see you. Although I'm sure it's very vain of me to say, since you do look so much like me, I still can't believe something so precious, and beautiful came from me.
I hope you have a wonderful birthday, and remember: I love you, more than anything.
Love,
Your dad.
Grace blinked away the tears, and smiled down at the letter. She traced her dad's writing, it reached to the very last centimeters of the page. He really did use every writable space on the piece of parchment. This was probably one of the best birthdays she's had in a long time.
