Breath-Drarry COMPLETE

Chapter 44

–Teddy POV–

"What do you mean you don't eat cake? Cake is the best thing ever!" Bonnie was waving her arms wildly in front of Wendy, who merely shrugged and pushed the plate aside.

"Sensitive stomach."

"You know it's bad luck for the birthday boy if you don't have a piece of cake?" Gabriel added between forkfuls. John smacked his arm.

"Shut up. More for us if Wendy wants to be weird."

"What a bloody day, at breakfast, McGonagall says that ongoing dementor attacks mean we still can't go to Hogsmeade... but then during lunch, Teddy brings us cake for his birthday," added Gabriel, though it seemed he was talking more to himself than any of us. Bonnie smacked his arm.

"Don't talk about that, Gabriel. Merlin, you're worse than Wendy, sometimes."

"Hey-"

"It's not a problem, Bonnie. Cake is cake. And I don't believe in that bad luck stuff that Gabriel says, anyway. I'm also not worried about the Dementors... There haven't been any attacks on students. Hogwarts is doing good at keeping us safe." I offered a smile, though it wasn't quite genuine. The empty seat where Scorpius always sat felt colder than ever. I blinked, not letting those thoughts travel further (unless I wanted to be miserable on my own birthday), and took a bite of my own slice. Luca reached across me, taking Wendy's plate and putting it on top of his empty one, digging in. Everyone stopped to look at him as he shoveled cake into his mouth.

"What? It was going to go to waste..."

"You don't like chocolate and you ate two slices. That's what," accused Bonnie. I paused, not having thought of that. He really doesn't like chocolate... Why is he eating so much cake?

"Who says I don't like chocolate? I eat it at least once a month."

Bonnie paused, her eyes widening. It seemed nobody else saw this, though, because John immediately went to speak. Scorpius would have noticed it, I thought morosely, before focusing back on the group, attempting again to shove my thoughts of Scorpius out of my mind.

"'Chocolate is overrated. I don't know why people talk about it like it's the best thing on earth.' That's you. You say that All the time."

Besides, he was being a bit clingy... Though I never wanted him to leave completely.

"Oh sod off. No, I don't. Besides, it is overrated. Just eat some when you want some but don't be obsessed, you know?"

I wish Scorpius was here.

"Again, says the one who just had two slices of chocolate cake."

Scorpius would have loved a slice of cake.

"So what?" He continued with a mouthful of cake. "I can enjoy Teddy's birthday festivities, can't I, Ted?"

I blinked, shaking off the deep red color in my hair and focusing on the conversation. It took me a second to realize what Luca had said to me, having only paid half mind to the conversation. But when it registered, I couldn't help but smile as my cheeks flushed furiously. "Yeah! These idiots are just jealous that you got the second slice first. Ignore them." And Luca smiled, high-fiving me.

"See? Teddy gets it."

Bonnie scoffed. "Whatever. At least we aren't in bloody Shaklebolt's class. If I didn't know any better I'd say he wants to marry an Auror with how often he talks about them. Can't bloody stand it, the same thing over and over again." 

The rest of lunch passed with light conversation and further teasing from John to Wendy for not eating cake. Luca was more talkative than usual, today. A bit twitchy, and... just all-around different. However, it wasn't until near dinner that I learned why, when Luca caught up to me after transfiguration and took me back to the Room of Requirement.