All the Young Dudes ( Sirius' Perspective )

Sixth Year : Seventeen

Thursday 10th March 1977

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, REMU!”

Sirius led the charge, leaping onto Moony’s bed with the other marauders at his side the moment the sun began to peek over the horizon. They hardly fit; one gangly tangle of scrambling limbs, all knees and elbows.

“Gerroff, you wankers,” Remus shoved at them. “What time is it?”

“Time is immaterial,” James crowed, nudging his pointed party hat further up his head, “It’s your birthday.”

“Your seventeenth birthday!” Sirius grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. He had donned a party hat, too—polka-dotted, which clashed horribly with his striped school tie.

“You’re of age!” Peter laughed, diving towards the flustered birthday boy with yet another party hat, which he snapped securely around his head.

Remus frowned at them, exasperated.

“You’re going to make me wear this all day, aren’t you?”

All three boys nodded, perfectly in sync, sending the colourful streamers attached to their hats fluttering in the early morning sunlight.

“It’s impervious to water,” Sirius told him, “So you can even shower with it on.” In a moment of giddy recklessness, he shot him a wink—and was rewarded by the very satisfying blush that crept over Remus’s cheeks. Neither James nor Peter seemed to notice, too busy clambering to their feet.

The boys carefully removed Mrs. Potter’s chocolate cake from its hiding place (delivered by owl just an hour before, and kept warm with one of Sirius’s patented heating charms) while Remus showered. By the time he emerged, hair dripping onto his shoulders, they had a large slice already cut for him, along with a stack of birthday cards that they had been collecting throughout the week. Remus smiled bashfully as he opened them, and told James to thank his mother effusively for the cake.

“And you’ll get your proper present later,” James told him, grinning, “At the party.”

“You lot are mad,” Remus shook his head, following them down to the common room, “You shouldn’t go to all this trouble.”

“Shut up, Moony.” Peter responded, cheerfully.

“Happy birthday Remus!” chorused Lily, Mary, and Marlene once the group had arrived in the dining hall. Sirius was quite pleased to see that Lily had talked the other girls into wearing their party hats (the accessories had been his idea).

“Nice one, Evans,” James nudged her as he sat, smirking, “Knew you wouldn’t let the side down.”

“Oh, bugger off, Potter,” she rolled her eyes and elbowed him back, stifling a smile.

Of course, they had to perform their traditional rendition of ‘Happy Birthday,’ leading the Great Hall in three rounds of the chorus before they dissolved into cheers and clapping. Remus, looking very flushed, stood and bowed bashfully. Next to him, Sirius wolf-whistled, and James cackled with laughter.

When the morning post arrived, two different owls swooped down in front of Remus, each with a letter. Sirius peered over his shoulder, curiously—one was from Ferox. The other was from Dumbledore.