The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

Eighteen Candles

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, I'M EIGHTEEN, GAY, AND JUST SO FUCKING SEXYYYY... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEE!" 

James pulled the pillow closer 'round his face. "Shut uuup, Sirius, the sun's barely risen." He was reminded of the rooster that Sirius had chucked out the window in Costa Rica, and he imagined chucking Sirius out the same way...

Sirius laughed and there was a squeal from Peter, a creak of bed springs, and before James was prepared for it, Sirius landed a top him in a great big belly flop, so that the bed groaned and James felt himself sink into the mattress so deep that he was cure the thing had irrevocably shaped itself to his frame. "IT'S THE BEST HOLIDAY OF THE ENTIRE YEAR! IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE ME, POTTER!"

James groaned. Clearly they were getting no more sleep.

Sirius magicked himself a paper crown and a t-shirt that read "BIRTHDAY BITCH" across the front of it, and shouted greetings of good morning all down the stairs of the castle to everyone that he passed, reminding them it was his birthday so that they would reply back with the obligatory Happy Birthday Sirius over and over again. James laughed as Sirius entered the Great Hall, waving and kissing the air as though he were the queen and there was a host of subjects awaiting his arrival within as he waltzed to Gryffindor's table and sat down in their usual places.

Ali glanced at him from her seat, "Hmmm, let me guess. It's your birthday?"

Sirius gasped dramatically, "HOW DID YOU KNOW?"

Ali shrugged, "Dunno, lucky guess I s'pose."

Lily came down soon after and joined them at the table, laughing at Sirius's shirt. "Well, happy birthday, you arsehole," she said, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you Lillipad," Sirius answered and he gave her a big sloppy kiss on her cheek, which had James raising his eyebrow from his seat across from Sirius. "Oh relax, Prongs, I'm snogging her."

Lily laughed and messed up James's hair as she sat down beside him.

"Oi," he ducked away from her messing it up.

"What? It's already messy," she laughed.

Sirius grinned, "It's strategically messy, Evans. You should know that by now." Remus yawned, and was nearly falling asleep in his plate of bacon and toast until Sirius clapped him on the back, nearly knocking his coffee over. "Buck up, Moonshine, I've got Birthday Plans for you later." Remus flushed.

Peter sat staring at his plate of food, not talking, even as Sirius was boisterously yelling things that would have the whole table - and a couple of the Ravenclaws across the aisle - laughing loudly. He forced a smile and a laugh now and then, but he wasn't truly listening. Everything in the Great Hall had become sort of a blur to him, as though he were removed by several miles, or looking on through a crystal ball.

There was a great party that afternoon in Gryffindor common room. Remus and Sirius had disappeared for some time and James and Lily utilized their absence to organize the party, hanging paper streamers about and levitating Sirius's music player downstairs. They talked Peter into going to the kitchens, and he did, though he was gone much longer than it would normally have taken, and when he returned he carried much less than he might normally have gotten from the elves in the kitchens. Once he'd delivered the food to the table, too, Peter returned to the boys' dormitory.

"I'm worried about him," Lily admitted.

James nodded, watching Peter's retreating back on the stairs, and he sighed, "Me, too."