Harry couldn't be sure, but he thought he was on his fourth slice of cake. The bakery was amazing and he grabbed treats there whenever he could, but somehow birthday cake tasted that much sweeter. He didn't care that he would probably be sick before long or that getting sick on birthday cake was probably a little childish for an 18 year old and sort of savior of the world. It was a simple joy but one he was going to indulge in for as long as he could.
He sat back at a table, letting his stomach settle a little and prepare for the inevitable fifth slice as he looked around. Maybe he didn't have the most friends on the island, but he wouldn't trade the ones he had for anything in the world. He was happy just were he was.
I didn't have a present for Harry and I kind of felt shitty about that but it was hard to feel bad when there was a cake and a party going on. Working on my second slice of cake myself, I swung around to the birthday boy's table to wish him the best.
"Eighteen, huh? That's a great year. Legal for almost anything now."
Harry grinned happily when Molly appeared. He didn't think even once about whether or not she had a present for him. On the island, he appreciated having wizards, even if they all qualified as former wizards, around him. Regardless of the differences between their worlds, Harry felt a little more at home when she was about.
"Back home it's 17. Well, with wizards," he said. "Not that it mattered when I was getting into trouble at 12. I'm just happy to have made it this far, honestly."
"See, this is why I need to apply for a wizard's transfer," I said dryly, still grinning at him. "I apparently still have to follow regular laws and everything. When I was seventeen, I was getting hauled in front of the Council for rule infractions."
It was right mental, actually having something resembling a party for Harry's birthday. Usually, it took place during summer holidays and Ron'd had to send him gifts by post. And even the last time, Harry's birthday dinner had been interrupted by the bloody Minister of Magic turning up.
Still, as mental as it was, Ron was glad for it, for all of them being able to be there for Harry. And if there was cake, then that was just a plus.
"I think I need like, eight more pieces of cake," Kate said to Ron as she took another and held it close to her chest, giving him a grin. Marshall could bake -- he was practically an expert when it came to cookies -- but this was the best cake she'd had in a long time. Maybe because it was the first cake she'd had since New Years Eve.
"So what'd you get him?" she asked. "I suck at presents."
"Yeah, me too," Ron agreed. Usually, it took him ages to figure out what to get Harry. Though, even before the island, he'd never really been able to buy anything for his best mate, so it was really par for the course, mostly.
"Found a decent-looking jumper in the clothes box, though. What about you?"
He decided not to tell Kate about the book he'd gotten Harry as well, hoping to keep it from getting back to Hermione.
"I, um... this guy who's teaching me guitar helped me make something," Kate admitted. She wasn't normally embarrassed about much of anything, but it turned out that putting thought into gifts wasn't something she'd normally brag about much. Her family saw that side of her, but few other people ever did.
"It's just this box with his name carved on it and stuff like that," she said, like it was nothing. "I don't know, I had no idea what to get him, especially here where you can't just go to the mall."
Bill had contributed a variety of food to the celebration, counting on the gaggle of teens and thereabouts in attendance to devour the lot of it. It was brilliant, having Harry on the island, being able to celebrate his birthday with him, and Bill only wished his mum was here to work up a right proper feast and knit Harry some kind of crazy jumper. As it happened, though, Bill had found a jumper remarkably like the sort Molly Weasley made them all a few days ago, in a nice shade of green with a golden snitch on it, and he'd grabbed it up immediately to give Harry as a gift.
It was wrapped up as nice as he could manage, and Bill circulated the party, helping Hermione when he could to make sure all was running smoothly.
Harry might have eaten too much cake. He probably should have made up for it by eating some real food to settle his stomach, but just then all he wanted to do was nurse his water before getting back into the swing of things. He gave Bill a smile as he passed by accompanied by a nod. "I almost feel like your mum's gonna show up at any minute and make us do the washing up," he joked.
"Well, I suppose I ought to step in for her, then, hadn't I?" Bill replied, with a friendly smile. "Though I think it only fair you be relieved of the duty as it's your birthday."
He stepped forward then, and pulled Harry into a warm hug. "Happy birthday, mate."
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He sat back at a table, letting his stomach settle a little and prepare for the inevitable fifth slice as he looked around. Maybe he didn't have the most friends on the island, but he wouldn't trade the ones he had for anything in the world. He was happy just were he was.
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"Eighteen, huh? That's a great year. Legal for almost anything now."
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"Back home it's 17. Well, with wizards," he said. "Not that it mattered when I was getting into trouble at 12. I'm just happy to have made it this far, honestly."
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Not exactly a place I ever wanted to be again.
"So. Any big plans for this momentous occasion?"
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Still, as mental as it was, Ron was glad for it, for all of them being able to be there for Harry. And if there was cake, then that was just a plus.
It was bloody good cake, though.
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"So what'd you get him?" she asked. "I suck at presents."
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"Found a decent-looking jumper in the clothes box, though. What about you?"
He decided not to tell Kate about the book he'd gotten Harry as well, hoping to keep it from getting back to Hermione.
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"It's just this box with his name carved on it and stuff like that," she said, like it was nothing. "I don't know, I had no idea what to get him, especially here where you can't just go to the mall."
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It was wrapped up as nice as he could manage, and Bill circulated the party, helping Hermione when he could to make sure all was running smoothly.
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He stepped forward then, and pulled Harry into a warm hug. "Happy birthday, mate."
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