Hogwarts is my Home

Chapter 20: Birthday at the Burrow

I woke up Saturday morning and ran downstairs to the smell of syrup wafting the whole house. Molly had asked me what I wanted a few days earlier, and my response was, "This! Pancakes wouldn't be bad, though." 

Molly turned around and smiled sweetly at me. "Happy birthday!"

"Thank you." 

"Hurry up and eat before the boys wake up and take it all." She set a plate piled with pancakes at the place I typically sat at. 

I sat down and started eating. She took the seat across from me. "So, Toni, what do you have planned today?"

"Not much. I think we're gonna play some Quidditch. The twins promised me no pranks on anyone today, which will be good. Maybe Percy will be nicer, but..." I tried to see how she felt about me talking bad about one of her sons before continuing. She didn't seem to care. "...we'll see."

"One can only hope."

Footsteps thudded down the stairs. The twins burst into the kitchen. 

"We smell syrup," said George, who then saw the pancakes on my plate and smiled.

"We never get these."

"Don't say never. Toni will think I deprive you of joy."

"Have you met my mother, Molly?"

"Yes, I have," she said dimly.

"Good pancakes, Mum," Fred said with a mouth full of food.

Soon, I started receiving letters and gifts from my friends: Alicia, Hermione, Hagrid, Charlie, and Rian.

Everyone hung out with me in the living until lunch, then we went to play Quidditch on the hill.

Since it was my birthday, I got to play Seeker when we practised. I was a little rusty, but got the hang of it again before it was time to go back to the Burrow and eat supper.

Molly had already set bowls at all the places at the table. She had cooked my favorite meal- potato soup.

"Soup in August? Tone, you're crazy," Fred said.

Ron, who had already eaten half his bowl before any of us sat down, said, "Actually, she's onto something."

"Thanks, Ronnie."

We happily ate until we were all full.

Arthur walked through the door and took his seat at the head of the table. "Sorry I'm late. How was today?" he asked me.

"This was the best birthday I've ever had." I looked lovingly at all my family.

"It's not over yet. Hang on." 

Molly left the room and returned with a birthday cake decorated in light blue and copper icing. She snapped her fingers and a slice appeared on a plate in front of each of us. There was a layer of strawberry and a layer of chocolate, with vanilla icing gluing them together. It was the best cake I've ever had.

I sat outside on the bench and watched the sun set below the horizon, happy that 4 years ago Charlie Weasley decided to sit in the train compartment I was in. That day he made me a Weasley.

Being a Weasley was definitely better than being a Marston, where no one from your family sends you anything for your fourteenth birthday. And even though I didn't want to be sad today, like I was every other birthday, I started crying.

After a while, Harry started walking over to me. I quickly wiped away my tears and made room for him to sit. 

"Hi," I greeted with a smile. I turned my entire body to face him.

"Are you okay?" he asked genuinely.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said unconvincingly.

He pulled me into an unexpected hug, but I appreciated it nevertheless. "I know what it's like to miss your parents on important days."

I started crying again. I don't know if it was for me or him or both, but I just cried. We sat in silence until I was done. 

"Now you have the Weasley's just like I do. They're almost as good, but no matter what, you'll always want the real thing. No one can ever change that."

He opened his mouth to start talking and changed his mind. He did this a couple times before he just said, "I want you around for all my important days, Toni."

Something about him saying that warmed my heart. "You do?" I asked with a smile.

"Of course. You're my best friend."

Suddenly Amara, Liam, and Spencer weren't on my mind anymore. All my thoughts were of Harry Potter.