Till Forever Falls Apart

Chapter Six: Val's Unexpected Surprise

November 1, 1991

Val rubbed the sleep from her eyes, groaning as she opened the curtains of her four-post bed. The curtains had already been cast to the sides, and the light blurred Val's vision as she dove under her covers, wishing for a bit more time to rest.

Then she remembered that it was her birthday.

Val sat straight up, looking around to see if all of the other girls in her dorm were gone. Anne and Amara had already left, but Padma rushed in, holding a small package in her hands.

"Happy Birthday!" She exclaimed, sitting down at Val's bedside and handing her the parcel. It was neatly wrapped and sealed with a thin brown rope. Untying the thread and carefully opening the package, Val's hands smacked her mouth in shock.

"How did you manage to get so many different colors?"

Val had always loved to write, whether it was note-taking, drawing, or annotating the books she read. Black was a fine, professional color, but Val had grown indifferent to the boring ink bottle she used for several of her classes.

The small vials were filled with ink, each a different color that shimmered. Pink, navy blue, gold, the colors seemed to go on and form a complex rainbow.

"They're beautiful," Val picked up the red vial, watching as the liquid swirled around the tiny glass.

"Oh, I was hoping you'd like them!" Padma gushed. "You can use them after we get some food in our stomachs, I'm rather hungry."

The two girls walked down to the Great Hall, talking casually about the upcoming quidditch match and who they were placing bets on for the win.

"Sure, Gryffindor is good, but Slytherin has the guts. They'll play incredibly dirty to score," Padma said.

Val shook her head. "I'm sitting in the Gryffindor section. I think Harry would make me eat slugs if I didn't."

They both laughed, entering the space behind a group of fourth-year Hufflepuff girls.

Feeling a tug on her wrist as soon as she had arrived, Val's mouth began to water as she inhaled the smell of warm fresh cookies, knowing that her Aunt Lily had probably sent some for the occasion.

"Sit with us today!" Hermione and Harry said in unison, giving each other odd looks at the unplanned timing of their singular demand.

Val looked at Padma, but the girl waved her away.

"It's your birthday," Padma smiled genuinely. "Go eat with them! Anthony and I will meet you in the common room later."

The three children hurried to find a place at the Gryffindor table, leaving room open for Val to sit in the middle as their breakfast appeared in front of them. Grabbing two pieces of toast, Val began to slather strawberry jam onto the two pieces of golden-colored bread, marveling in the crunch as her taste buds collided with the sweet flavor.

"Mum sent me mail this morning," Harry fetched something from the other side of Ron and gave the parcel to Val. She was right-it had been her favorite sugar cookies Lily always made for any holiday or birthday. They were still soft as she took a bite, munching happily on the dessert as she talked to Ron about the last time they played Gobstones, the conversation heating up as they pointed their fingers at each other, accusing the other of cheating.

"I don't even know how to cheat at Gobstones!" Val gave him a cookie before crossing her arms. Ron seemed to have completely forgotten what they were discussing when a package dropped on his plate, the elderly owl hooting as it perched itself on the boy's shoulder.