"He's really got a Firebolt, then?" Pansy Parkinson hissed at Malfoy when came back to the Slytherin table after his encounter with Harry Potter at the Gryffindor table.
Harry Potter having a Firebolt wasn't news to me as Hermione had already mentioned it before. My fellow Slytherins, however, were completely unaware until today when Harry walked into the Great Hall with the fancy broom on display, gripped in his hand.
Before I could listen in any further, a brown owl swooped in and dropped another parcel in front of me.
"Ooh! Who sent you this one?" Daphne enthused, grabbing at the letter attached to a small brown paper-wrapped and red ribbon-tied box.
"That was my mum's owl," Tracey said, bemused as the brown owl flew out of the Great Hall.
"Oh, wow... That's a really great gift for you," Daphne said when she finished snooping. I yanked the letter from her hand and read it.
My dearest Maeve,
It was such a joy to meet you during your Winter break. You and Daphne are welcomed to stay at my house again anytime you wish.
Tracey tells me you love brewing potions. Here is a rare ingredient I have cultivated from my garden.
Enjoy your birthday.
Helen.
"No way..." I mumbled, tossing the letter to the side so I could rip open the gift.
It was an ornate brown box with gold clovers painted atop it. Inside the box was a flower ingredient that I distinctly remembered seeing at Tracey's house over the Winter: snappers from a Venus fly trap. I wasn't familiar with the magical properties of this plant, which only put me in the mood to research all about it after breakfast.
"Your mother is so bloody awesome, Trace," I breathed in awe at the gift. Tracey shrugged but smiled with satisfaction at my glee. "Well, now I just have to go research this ingredient. Are you kidding me?"
"What about quidditch? Don't you want to see how Potter's Firebolt fares on the pitch?" Tracey queried, raising an eyebrow at me.
"Well nevermind that. Potions are far more important to me," I huffed with a laugh. Tracey shook her head at me but a smile still tugged at her lips. Daphne seemed unbothered by my decision to not attend the quidditch match.
And I did exactly what I professed I would do. While nearly everyone trailed to the quidditch pitch to watch the Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match, I traipsed to the library and spent an afternoon looking up the magical properties of Venus fly trap snappers.
After the quidditch match however, I was bombarded with Daphne and Tracey telling me all about how Draco Malfoy unwittingly decided to dress up as a demontor with his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, to scare Harry Potter and have him lose the match. Absolutely immature, the lot of them. But I was pleased to learn that Harry actually knew how to conjure the patronus spell against dementors, which made Malfoy's stunt backfire. Thankfully, he and his goons got into loads of trouble for that idiotic ploy of theirs.
"Today will definitely go down as one of the best birthdays ever," I said, still laughing over the story. "Too bad I wasn't there to witness it... Oh, but did you two know that Venus fly trap snappers could be used to make alcohol?"
"Ah. So while we were off watching one of the most entertaining quidditch matches of all time, you were brewing... alcohol?" Tracey said, bemused. I chuckled along with Daphne.
"Oh no, just researching. You know the snappers also have medicinal properties?" I went on. "Not sure I understand how to use it yet, but it's quite fascinating."
That evening, I had to resist the urge to bully Malfoy over the failed stunt he pulled today. I had already agreed with Daphne over the break that I would make extra effort to not berate Malfoy anymore. If I wanted to have a civilized acquaintanceship with him, I also had to act civilized.
And so, when I passed by his blonde head in the Great Hall, I willed myself to pretend I hadn't seen him and instead settled myself with my brother and his friends Miles Bletchley and Adri Pucey.
"Long time no see, Maeve," Adri said when I stationed myself next to her. She had a gleeful air to her. Today, her raven hair was only tied into one french braid instead of her typical two.
"Congratulations on the match," I said absentmindedly. All three of them looked at me curiously. "Oh. Right. Nevermind. Today was Ravenclaw against Gryffindor. Sorry, I think I'm tired."
Miles and Adri laughed but didn't comment about what I had accidentally said.
"Did you come here hoping I'd wish you a happy birthday?" Aiden asked, his dark eyebrows raising at me.
"Oh, yeah, it's my birthday," I realized for the nth time today.
"Well happy birthday, Maeve," Adri said, her lips curving upwards. "I didn't even know it was your birthday."
"Me too," Miles chimed in. "Happy birthday. Do you want us to sing?"
"Oh no. Please don't," I waved my hand dismissively. Aiden's smile widened on his face. I barely had time to react before he opened his mouth to sing.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" Aiden chanted. Miles and Adri immediately joined in, and I buried my face into my arms as all three of them sung at the top of their lungs.
Another voice joined in near the end of the song, and I immediately perked my head up to see Wyatt Nye dancing cheerfully as he sang.
When the song ended, Wyatt patted my back and sat next to me.
"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" he said as if he were deeply disappointed in me.
"Because I assumed a stalker such as yourself would already know," I shrugged, playfully raising my eyebrows at him. Wyatt gawked at what I said but didn't get to respond as the rest of the S4 promptly joined us at the table.
"This is for you," Isaiah said, handing me a brown bag. "Amirah and I got it for you."
This is when I realized that Amirah was standing right behind me, which slightly startled me. She was beaming as I took out whatever was inside the bag.
It was what looked like a green grimoiry-looking book. Ingredient Index For The Ignorant.
"Blimey," I said, a big smile creeping on my face. I couldn't help myself from opening the book and quickly scanning through the pages. "This is brilliant — Thank you!"
The book detailed the ultilities of various potion ingredients in alphabetical order — it would definitely come in handy. I had previously been haphazardly scrawling in a notebook whatever findings I had made. This would save me a tremendous amount of time.
Amirah smiled sheepishly at my gratefulness, while Isaiah waved his hand as if to say it was nothing.
"James? Got nothing for your girl?" Elijah teased unexpectedly. I tried to ignore my insides churning as I tried to decipher James' facial expression. Unbothered. He merely shrugged and turned his attention to serving himself some food.
"Hey, that's my sister — what do you mean she's Lancaster's girl?" I had almost forgotten that Aiden and his friends were here too. I nearly spat out my drink. "Maeve? Since when—"
"Please don't misunderstand, Aiden," I interjected quickly, setting my cup aside on the table. "Elijah's just joking — because — erm — well, I'm not sure why he makes those kind of jokes, but anyway — James and I are just friends, so..."
Elijah's lips twisted into a mischievious smile. I tried to ignore my rapidly-beating heart.
"Unrequited love," Elijah mused before taking a sip from his drink. My brow furrowed at him, asking for clarification. "What? Don't you fancy James?"
James' eyebrow shot up and my face melted. My heart pounded in my chest. James eyed me curiously, as if waiting intently for my answer. But I could not tell if he wished for me to agree or disagree with Elijah's statement. His facial expression was once again undecipherable to me.
"Well, I don't want to suffer any more stares from the Slytherins, so I'll go back to my table — Again, happy birthday, Maeve," Amirah said quickly as if not wanting to witness this mortifying moment of mine.
"Wait up! I'll come join you at your table," Wyatt said almost desperately as he tailed her. I eyed him curiously, remembering what he had told me about his little crush on Amirah.
My mind swiftly returned to that accusation Elijah had shot at me. Did he really think I had a crush on James? Why did everyone think that? I could not bring myself to speak, to defend myself.
"Alright keep your secrets," Elijah raised his hands in surrender, a cunning smirk plastered on his face. I felt slight fury towards him for asking me such an uncomfortable question—
"Lancaster, you better not fancy my sister back," Aiden said as if he had already known that I fancied James and that was already not a problem with him.
James chuckled at the mere suggestion of it. "Of course not. She's more like a sister to me."
My heart dropped to my intestines, and my lungs crushed my chest as that statement escaped his lips. I could barely conjure up a spurious smile as I said, without thinking, "Well, I've got one brother too many already, so maybe don't."
"Hey, I'm a good brother," Aiden insisted, and Adri cackled along with Miles who were now making Ls at him with their fingers.
James turned his face towards me and I felt my cheeks heating my face so intensely that I might as well have been burning alive. The corners of his lips quivered upwards slightly as if reveling in my flushed state. All I wanted was for everyone to stop thinking that I fancied James — for James not to think that I fancied him. So I diverted the subject as best I could.
"Oh, pish posh, your number one aim in life is to make me suffer," I stated as if it were a fact — which it most likely was.
"Well, that is my duty as a brother," Aiden said proudly. He nodded his head in approval at me.
I rolled my eyes at him and directed my attention to the book that Isaiah and Amirah had given me instead.
"How I love sibling quarrels. Reminds me of when we spent that Summer at Wyatt's estate," Elijah said fondly. His blue eyes looked up at the candle-lit ceiling as if reminiscing the good old days.
"Oh, don't remind me of that," James shook his head as if he had swallowed something particularly sour. Isaiah's eyebrows bounced up, and he almost smiled fondly.
"It really is a mystery how Anastasia could be related to him, isn't it?" Isaiah mused.
I threw a glance at the Ravenclaw table where Wyatt was talking with Amirah like a hyperactive dog. I could only wonder how his sister Anastasia was like. Seemed like everyone was saying she was the complete opposite of him.
The rest of supper went by smoothly with my brother Aiden and his friends occasionally chiming into Isaiah, James, Elijah, and I's conversation. They all seemed to be comfortable around each other, which shouldn't surprise me seeing as they've all been in the same year and house for almost five years.
As I trailed back to the Slytherin common room with the others, I thought fondly about how I turned fourteen years old today. I couldn't wait until I was fifteen and then sixteen and then seventeen... I only wanted to accelerate time until I was out of Hogwarts and running the potion shop with my parents, brewing all day to my heart's content. I could even hang out with my S4 friends without having classes to attend. Tracey and Daphne could come bother me all day and we'd gossip of course, and then, maybe even Hermione would be there.
When we arrived at the Slytherin common room, I realized I wasn't paying attention to whatever conversation the S4s were having with each other. As we neared the dormitories, James pulled me aside and waved at the others to go on without him.
"I wish to speak with you," he said calmly. I nodded, and he promptly guided me to an empty study room.
When he closed the door behind him, I was reminded of all the times we'd meet up in here to discuss his secret scar. But now, his reddish pink scar around his eyebrow wasn't hidden under his dark bangs anymore as he had them made shorter by Madam Pomfrey.
His exposed scar did suit him. It almost looked like a haphazardly-applied eyeshadow, which was unique and beautiful in its own way.
"I've got a birthday gift for you," he said grinning slightly.
"You do? But you really didn't have to—"
"Meet me here after curfew at midnight," he said.
"What for?" I asked, eyes widening slightly with intrigue.
"You'll find out soon enough," he said finally before promptly turning the door handle to leave.
"But—"
"Don't be late," James said before darting out, leaving me to wonder and anticipate whatever gift he had prepared for me.
And I wasn't late. At midnight sharp, I met James in the empty study room. I was wearing my PJs, but he was still wearing his full set of robes.
"Hmm," he hummed. "Perhaps I should have told you not to change."
"Why? What's the gift?" I queried, crossing my arms over my pajamas.
"I'll bring you to it. We're going out," he revealed. I brightened up with great curiosity.
"I thought you said you had to be extra careful with sneaking out now because of Snape—" I began, but he placed a finger over his lips to tell me to be quiet.
"I'm making an exception for the birthday girl," he said simply.
"You know, it's technically not my birthday anymore now that it's past midnight," I remarked.
"You're right. Off to bed you go, then. Go on," James said. I giggled as he pretended to shoo me out of the study room.
"Alright, alright. Fine. Bring me to my belated birthday gift, then," I said. James smiled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling as he did, and I tried to ignore my pounding heart.
I followed James out of the common room and through the corridors. Every corner that James peered around at reminded me of our last midnight excursion. My heart skipped a beat as James guided me farther up into the castle. It was almost as if we were going in the direction of the astronomy tower.
And sure enough, we were. After climbing the long spiral staircases, we reached the top of the astronomy tower, the dark sky opening up to us. There was barely any moon, maybe a miniscule crescent creeping over the dark face of the moon. The stars twinkled and sparkled especially brightly tonight. And a hint of green and blue dispersed across the nightsky. It was almost like smoke or lights, whatever it was. It was beautiful, and I was mesmerized.
"Aurora Borealis," James said at my widened face. "They're quite rare in general, but apparently when the sky is at its darkest, around the time of a new moon, they appear in the sky. We're lucky we're in Scotland. We can't see them in the southern parts of the world."
"How did you find out about them?" I asked. I neared the railing of the astronomy tower. It was cold outside. I tried not to shiver as wind blew at my thin set of pajamas.
Something heavy fell on my shoulders suddenly. James had removed his cover robes and draped them over me. I smiled sheepishly at him as he leaned against the railing next to me, his long sleeves now exposed to the cold air. But he seemed unbothered by the chill of the night as he peered up at the green lights with me.
"My mother," he said after a moment had passed, and I had settled into the warmth of his robes.
"How did she pass?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. I wanted to punch myself in the face for even bringing up his dead mother, but his eyes twinkled.
"I don't think she has. Not really," he said when I thought he wouldn't answer. "I think she's still here."
I remained silent, unsure of what he meant by that.
"In my heart," he added when I wouldn't connect the dots. "I like to think that she's watching over me, wherever she is. It's less depressing like that."
"That's very sweet," I said sincerely.
And we remained quiet for a bit more, taking in the wonderful colours of the midnight sky.
"Do you really fancy me?" James asked suddenly. I felt my cheeks heat up immediately. I kept my eyes glued to the sky as I tried to speak, but no words would come out. "It's okay if you do. I would find it quite endearing, actually."
"But I'm like a sister to you," I said, referring to what he had said earlier today.
"Frankly, I don't truly think you are," he admitted. I glanced at him. He was looking at me intently. But I quickly returned my gaze to the sky, not wanting to die of a heart attack from seeing him gazing at me like that. Frankly, it was unsettling. "But whatever could you be to me?" he pondered aloud.
"A friend?" I offered rather awkwardly — though perhaps he couldn't tell I was awkward, despite me feeling tremendously awkward.
"Yes, a friend. Definitely," he agreed. I braved myself to peer at him again. This time, his eyes were roving at the sky instead of at me. "I wouldn't blame you if you fancied me, though. I am bloody handsome afterall."
Laughing, I playfully hit his arm and said, "I don't fancy you, though."
"You really don't? I was so sure you did," he said, almost crestfallen. I blinked.
"Are you disappointed?" I asked.
James smiled, as if mulling over what he wanted to say.
"No, not disappointed. Just surprised. I suppose I just assumed you fancied me this whole time," he said with a shrug. He playfully wiggled his eyebrows at me, and I let out an uncomfortable laugh.
"Well do you fancy anyone?" I tempted.
My heart was pounding so hard, I thought I might puke it out as I felt my heartbeat in my throat, almost toying with every word that escaped me.
James didn't answer, so I added, "Like... perhaps that prefect girl from your year?"
He simply looked at me curiously, raising an eyebrow. "Would you be jealous if I did?"
"What? No. Of course not. You love who you want to love, Lancaster," I asserted as casually as I could, avoiding his eyes.
"Have you ever been in love, Maeve?" he asked, imploring my eyes to look at him, but I refused, peering back at the sparkly and green nightsky.
"No, I don't think so. Have you?" I returned the question.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "Sometimes I wonder if I will ever fall in love. Feels like such a foreign concept to me. I've never even fancied anyone before," he admitted.
"Me neither," I said, though it felt like a bit of a lie for some reason I could not understand.
"Well, we're still young," James reasoned. "I suppose we've got our whole life ahead of us to find out."