Loverboy

"Right, thanks, Jamesie."

Ollie woke up, feeling warmer and happier than was normal for a Saturday morning. She sat up sleepily, trying to think of why she felt like this, remembering when Marlene's thick morning voice called, "Ollie, happy birthday."

Ollie then recalled that it was February 16, and it was, in fact, her sixteenth birthday. She sat up, stretched, and quickly dressed. Once she got down to the common room, she immediately got tackled by Remus in a massive hug.

"Happy birthday, Ollie," Peter said shyly, holding out a small handful of pink and white carnations.

"Aw, thanks, Peter," Ollie thanked her friend, accepting the flowers. Remus reached for the table and handed her a small bouquet of pink azaleas. "Okay, then," Ollie said, slightly confused. "Thanks, Remus."

James strutted into the room from the boy's dorms. "It's the birthday girl! In the flesh!"

Ollie rolled her eyes, grinning from embarrassment. "James, you do this routine every year, you know you can just say 'Ha-'"

"Where do you want to go today, our precious girl?" James asked, his arm around her shoulders.

"Don't call me that, it's embarrassing-"

"We're off to Hogsmeade, of course," James continued, twirling Ollie. "How about the Three Broomsticks?"

"James, stop it, people are staring-"

"Madam Puttifoots?" James feigned a gasp. "The Sweet Cafe?"

"You don't have to-"

James held a bunch of small pink flowers up for Ollie. "Happy birthday, buttercup," he said, smiling. Ollie tried to fight the smile that was creeping up, but found herself unsuccessful.

"Right, thanks, Jamesie," Ollie said, causing James to flush slightly.

"I thought we agreed not to call me that in second year, Ollie-"

Laughing, Ollie hugged her friend back. "Where's Sirius? He's usually here super early to embarrass me before the rest of the House is up."

The three boys in her presence exchanged a knowing glance. "It's alright, we can just go to Hogsmeade," Remus said, sending a slightly panicked look at James. In her worry, Ollie didn't fully notice and register this.

"But, Sirius-"

"He's probably waiting in the entrance hall," James began to comfort Ollie, trying to convince her to follow along with the plan.

"What?!" she shouted. This wasn't working as planned. "You mean he wasn't there when you came down? He was already gone?"

"How are you getting that from-"

"I would've noticed if he came down. Oh no, this is bad, this is very bad," she said, beginning to tug at a strand in her ponytail.

Just then, the portrait hole swung open. Framed by the hole, a handsome face looked into the room. He climbed into the room. "Ollie, you're sixteen! This is so weird. Happy birthday, Ollie," the boy said.

"Sirius Orion Black, where the hell have you been?!" Ollie scolded him. "I was worried! Don't fucking do that to me," she told her friend off, reaching over and holding his arm lovingly.

Sirius whipped his other arm around, revealing to Ollie a handful of pink and white roses. Ollie grinned, taking them. "The Owlery," he explained. "Let's go to Hogsmeade! Three Broomsticks?"

"Sure," Ollie said, smiling. Sirius was still next to her as she was still clutching his arm. He repositioned himself so that it looked more like a romantic gesture, though this wasn't his intention. James walked on the other side of Sirius, Remus beside Ollie and Peter next to Remus.

The five of them walked into the entrance hall, Filch eyeing them suspiciously. They had always done something special for each other their birthdays. For Remus, a quiet celebration in the dormitory. For Sirius, a large party in the common room. On James's birthday, a party on the Quidditch pitch with the team and their friends (and of course, his friends). For Peter, a small celebration in the common room.

And of course, for Ollie, all four would go to the ends of the earth to ensure that she was happy, especially on a day that she deserved to be showered with affection. They would always have a party in the common room for their friend, but more importantly, they would do what she wanted to do.

This year, though, was different for the boys. They had to get her into Hogsmeade and to the Three Broomsticks. Remus had received an owl from Ollie's sister telling him that she was planning to surprise her in the village.

Filch didn't like this arrangement, so despite knowing it was Ollie's birthday from the crowd's shouts and well wishes, stopped them, demanding to know what they were doing. James answered truthfully that they were heading to the village to celebrate Ollie's birthday. Filch insisted that they allow him to scan them with Dark detectors, which, to his dismay, found nothing incriminating.

He scowled, letting them through to where McGonagall was waiting to pass them into the village.

"Happy birthday, Miss Sato," she said kindly, waving them through.

"Thank you, Professor," Ollie replied.

McGonagall gave the large bouquet in Ollie's hand an odd look. "Where did those flowers come from, by the way? They seem quite lovely."

Ollie glanced at Sirius, James, Remus and Peter. Sirius replied, "We had them owled in from a Muggle florist," he said simply. McGonagall did not take that to be a simple explanation.

"What do you mean by that, Mister Black?"

"Well, uh, I owled Ollie's mum to see if she could send us some and she did. Here," he said, plucking a chrysanthemum from Ollie's hand, "have yourself one, too, Minnie."

"Mister Black," McGonagall reprimanded the boy, "that is quite inappropriate." Despite this, she accepted the flower and smiled slightly at the group. She would never admit to having favorites, nor would she ever admit who they were, but she knew exactly who she liked the most out of her students.

She was constantly reprimanding them, constantly scolding them, always telling them to shut up. However, she had taken on almost a maternal role for them, some more strongly than others. These students were the ones that the students referred to as the Marauders. Five mischievous troublemakers had stolen the wizened, stubborn heart of Minerva McGonagall, and as she watched the boys and girl walk into Hogsmeade, she made a promise to herself.

Never let any of them get hurt.