i really loved him

chapter 3

Saturday, 2nd November, 23:46 – "Quickly, it's almost midnight!" Peter said, peering over James' shoulder as he added the finishing touches to the cake.

It was a lopsided, two-tier sponge and was covered in cherry-red icing. James was in the process of writing 'Happy Birthday, Sirius!' on the top in gold. They'd snuck down to the empty kitchens as soon as their friend fell asleep in order to bake it in secret, planning to present it to him when the clock struck twelve.

"I know, Pete," James chided. "But you can't rush art!"

The whole thing had been Remus' idea (he had a knack for scheming), but James, being the only one with any baking experience, had been appointed head chef. His mum used the same cake recipe for his own birthday every year - at age eleven she'd finally taught it to him. And luckily, the Hogwarts kitchen was stocked with all of the equipment and ingredients they could possibly want.

After drawing a little golden heart beneath the birthday greeting, James stepped back to admire his handiwork.

"Hmm," he mused. "It's a bit wonky. Maybe if I just—"

"It's fine," Remus interrupted, also stressing about the time. "You're such a bloody perfectionist. He'll love it."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for wanting to give my best friend a decent-looking birthday cake," James grumbled. "How're we getting it to the dorm?"

"I could carry it?" Peter suggested.

"Or," said Remus hurriedly. "I'll use a hovering charm. Less likely to drop it then."

The other two nodded, and Remus cast the spell on the cake whilst James pulled out his trusty invisibility cloak; a priceless heirloom passed down the generations of his family. It took a lot of effort and even more swearing, but they managed to reach the Gryffindor common room with only a couple of minutes to spare. Miraculously, the cake was still fully intact.

They snuck into the dorm and surrounded Sirius' bed. On James' signal, Peter flicked on the light and they bellowed in unison:

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SIRIUS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUU!"

Sirius' eyes snapped open, and he was sat up in bed before they even finished the first line.

"Merlin's beard! I can't believe you lot," he said, grinning madly. "Is that a cake!?"

"Yup," James confirmed proudly. "Happy birthday, mate."

Peter had remembered to bring a knife back from the kitchen, so they were soon all piled onto Sirius' bed and devouring a huge slice each. Apparently, they were being too rowdy because after a few minutes, the door opened, and a fellow 4th year named Mary Macdonald poked her head round it. Mary was really pretty, with a soft, rounded figure and rosebud lips. Almost every boy in their year could be caught staring at her in lessons or in the great hall, and she knew it.

"What are you boys doing in here?" Mary demanded. "Some of us are trying to sleep!"

"Alright, Macdonald?" Sirius said with a wink. "As of five minutes ago, it's my birthday. We're celebrating. Want some cake?"

Instantly, a beaming smile broke across her face.

"Oh, that sounds fun! And I'd never say no to cake..."

"Or to Sirius," Peter mumbled cheekily, to which she flashed him a knowing smirk.

There was no more room on Sirius' bed, so the five of them sat in a circle on the floor of the dorm. It wasn't long before Mary's best friend, Marlene, also came to investigate.