𝙻𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 II SS/HG ✔️

Happy Birthday

Hermione stood at the mirror. On the one hand, her curls did not spiral out of control. On the other hand, she had a purple and brown bruise on her cheek. People had been staring at it or asking about it all day. The Slytherins laughed.

"Mreow!"

Hermione turned and looked down. Crookshanks crouched above a dead mouse, his tail swishing with pride.

Hermione laughed, "Thank you, Crookshanks." She kneeled to rub the cat's ears. "It is the best present you've ever killed for me."

Crookshanks purred while someone knocked on the partially open door.

"Shall I accompany the birthday lady to dinner?" Head Boy Anthony Goldstein asked, poking his head through the door.

"Yes, you may," Hermione replied primly, linking arms with Anthony. They worked out a system—if the bedroom door is open, feel free to come in. Their rooms were not enchanted to repel those of the opposite sex, which is probably where the time-honoured tradition of the Head Boy and Girl dating had started. Anthony was handsome but Hermione seemed to have a type, and that type included dark hair and Anthony was blond—and since he was already dating Padma Patil, it seemed Hermione and Anthony would be one of the few Head Students to not snog in their quarters.

"Any big plans for your birthday weekend?" Anthony asked as they walked to the Great Hall.

"Getting ahead on my Charms work, some pudding, reading a book—the usual," she said with a shrug.

"Sounds like an exciting way to spend the Saturday, let alone your birthday," Anthony teased. "You need to live a little!"

Several of the children they passed stared at Hermione, the Muggle-born witch with the bounty on her head. Or maybe they stared at the black eye. It was hard to tell. Hermione did her best to ignore them.

"I'm living," she replied. "Living with a nose in a book still counts."

Anthony laughed and parted from her inside the door to the Great Hall.

"Many happy returns, Mione!" rang out from the Gryffindor table.

Several DA members from three of the four houses stood behind Neville, Ginny, and Luna. Harry and Ron held out a cake, each wearing identical grins. Hagrid had a bag of what looked like rock cakes in his large hand and a larger smile on his face.

She hugged him with one arm, accepting the confirmed rock cakes with the other.

Luna hugged Hermione as Neville presented a card decorated with pressed flowers from the green houses.

"Dobby made the cake for you," Harry said. "He made me promise to tell you."

"I'll thank him later," Hermione giggled as Neville, Ginny, and Ron each took their turns hugging her. "You guys are the best."

"We're not through yet, eh?" Ron motioned towards Ginny and Luna.

"We all got together to get you this," Ginny said as Luna presented a gift wrapped in old editions of The Quibbler. "Dad told us that Muggles think being eighteen is a big deal and all."

Hermione sat down to open it. In the background, the three Death Eater teachers sneered at the outpouring of birthday joy. Professor McGonagall and the other staff members smiled, glad to see some youthful happiness, despite the death and destruction going on outside of Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore cast a forlorn look at the Head Girl's celebration.

Hagrid asked, "What is it?" as he leaned over them all to get a better look.

"The Comprehensive Text of Potions, Techniques, and Common Ingredients!" Hermione chirped, ripping off the rest of the wrapping in excitement.