One. Last. Time. {Oliver Wood}

Fourteenth birthdays

January 8, 1991

"Come on Val, just tell me!" Angelica pleaded.

Angelica and Valerie both returned from Christmas break a week ago and were sitting with Ace at lunch in the Great Hall.

"No, you don't have to get me anything!" Valerie replied, annoyed. Angelica was currently pestering Valerie about what she should get her for Valerie's birthday, which was on the eleventh.

"Come on! I'm loaded with Death Eater money! Let me use it for something other than random objects that look like they would kill me in my sleep." Angelica said.

Valerie started laughing hysterically and Ace who was taking a sip of his pumpkin juice choked by laughing and made a mess of himself. This only caused Valerie to laugh even harder and Angelica started chuckling as well. Ace was glaring at them and didn't seem to find Angelica's joke funny anymore.

"Oh, calm down Acie." Angelica teased as she whipped out her wand and did a cleaning spell on Ace. "See, no need to be a sour puss." Ace softened his glare but didn't dare touch his goblet for the rest of lunch.

***

Valerie and Angelica were both sitting on Ace's bed later that night, as Ace was on the floor peering into a textbook.

"Fine! If you're not going to tell me what you want for your bloody birthday, I'm just going to get you what I want to get you!" Angelica said while bewitching the ceiling of Ace's four-poster bed to look like a constellation.

"You do that Ang." Valerie replied, not looking up from a Potions essay.

"Angelica, please don't do that to my bed. Last time, you left it as a cloud, and I got rained on in the middle of the night." Ace said fiercely.

Angelica started cackling madly and it took everything in Valerie not to snort with laughter.

"Yeah Ang, give Ace's sleeping arrangements a rest." Valerie replied and looked up to see Ace blushing. That kid really blushed at anything. Or perhaps anything to do with Angelica...

"Look, If you don't tell me what to get you, I'll get you Death Eater things." Angelica threatened.

"And what are these Death Eater things?" Valerie asked.

"I have my ways." Angelica gave her a threatening stare and Valerie gave in.

"Fine you lunatic, get me some books. Ooh and sweets from Honeydukes! And maybe some fancy parchment. Yeah, I want that." Valerie finished.

"Why are we friends with a weird bookworm again?" Angelica asked Ace.

"Isn't it obvious, homework answers!" Ace said.

"Right, right." Angelica replied.

"You know it's pathetic how you're asking me for help when you're a fifth year, Ace." Valerie teased and held out the Potions essay she was checking for him. She noticed he was slyly scribbling down the things Valerie had mentioned she wanted.

"It's not pathetic, it's efficient." Ace said indignantly and snatched the essay from Valerie.

***

January 11, 1991

Valerie awoke by Angelica and Penelope Clearwater attacking her with cuddles the morning of her birthday.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they both shouted once Valerie pried her eyes open.

"Thank you, crazy chicks!" Valerie said, smiling as she pushed them off her.

Valerie was greeted with the same pile of gifts from all the same people she loved; her father, Angelica, Ace, Penelope and even one from Flint. Although there was an extra at the bottom of the pile. Valerie was surprised because she hadn't expected anyone else to send her anything. She picked it up and saw It was labeled, To: Santos, From: Wood.