Forever and a Day ~ James Potter

The Accidental Present

Chapter Thirty-Three

Saturday 27th March 1976 ~ 13:23 ~ waning moon

James spent the rest of that night and most of the next morning in the Hospital Wing, but by Thursday lunchtime, he was completely fine. Although, he would brag about how much it had hurt and how brave he had been to anyone who would listen. It was mostly simpering girls who would take any chance to get his attention away from Rosie for a few minutes, not that she minded that.

It was finally Saturday again, and the whole of Gryffindor was preparing themselves for the inevitable chaos that would come from James Potter's sixteenth birthday. 

It was around lunchtime when Rosie and her four friends were sat in the Great Hall, enjoying some cheese and pickle sandwiches with crisps. They were going to go back up to the common room later on, to get ready for the annual massive party the Marauders threw for James - usually ending up with everyone unconscious, drunk or vomiting in the early hours of the morning.

The five girls were all discussing the presents they had bought him, either from their last Hogsmeade trip or from an owl order service.

"A bottle of Firewhisky?" Mary asked incredulously, though a curious grin was spreading across her face.

"Well, it's a tradition in my family to get sixteen-year-olds some sort of alcohol," Lily explained innocently, shrugging her shoulders. "It's just a bit of fun."

"What brand is it?" Rosie asked curiously, not caring about how Lily had actually managed to get hold of alcohol as a sixteen-year-old. The older men in her own family were very fond of collecting bottles of the stuff, though she suspected Lily wouldn't have her hands on anything of that sort of calibre.

"Erm..." Lily frowned in thought, trying to remember. "Fenta something, I think."

"Fentiman's!?" Rosie, Marlene and Alice exclaimed.

"Yes, that's the stuff... What?" Lily asked defensively once she spotted the looks on the girls' faces. "Is it bad quality?"

"It's the poshest brand of Firewhiskey out there!" Alice exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's the stuff my Grandad drinks when he's got clients 'round," Rosie added, her mouth hanging open slightly in pure shock. "Did you not look at the price?"

"It was only a little over twenty Galleons," Lily said confusedly, distress filling her expression. "Is that not the same as twenty pounds?"

"Lily," Marlene sighed, turning around and taking her hand. "That's around one hundred pounds."

Lily slapped a hand over her mouth, "Oh no! Oh no! I borrowed that money from Mum and Dad! The Gringotts Goblins said they were happy to convert it."

"Course they were!" Rosie laughed, not able to actually belive such a smart girl could make such a careless mistake. "I can't believe you spent that much on a present for James Potter!"

Lily folded her arms on the table and put her head down, letting out a muffled groan while the other girls tried to hold in their giggles.

"I heard my name?" James grinned as he dropped himself down next to Rosie, running a hand through his already windswept hair.

"Why are you in your Quidditch robes?" Rosie asked, looking him up and down before hurriedly going back to eating her sandwich.

James grinned, "Oh, the Marauders booked the pitch for the morning so we could play a few casual games."

"And I'm assuming instead of that, you worked them half to death?" Rosie smirked, knowing exactly how seriously James took the sport, no matter what the occasion.