ALLURING || D.M.

Chapter 06

Much to Warren Phelps's discomfort, the fifth years still hung around them for a week and a half more. He did not comprehend how from one moment to another they were best friends, Lily talked with them freely, as if she'd known them for years. She joked especially with Nott, quite close jokes for Warren's liking. He side-hugged her often, not even I do that.

However he had an advantage, he had known Lilianne for years. None of those pricks had any means to know that day was her birthday and that was the day he'd earn her affection back. He woke up extra early, showered and perfumed. He had ordered a package from Honeydukes that arrived yesterday and was already packed on top of his trunk. He'd also gotten flowers and asked Eleonora for help picking and arranging them, which she'd masochistically agreed to.

The Phelps boy went straight to the Great Hall, setting the spot right beside him ready. He filled the juice and the plates with her usual breakfast, then hid the presents under his cloak so she wouldn't see them when she arrived.

In the dungeons, Lilianne woke up to an animated Ariel singing 'Happy Birthday to you' with the other girls still half asleep on their beds. "Happy birthday dear Lily" The girls joined in, "Happy birthday to you". "You're eighteen" The blonde shrieked.

They hugged as Exelfan rose from her bed, hugging Lily also, followed by Hazelton. Gifts already awaited wrapped at the foot of her bed. She opened them slowly, thanking her friends in the process. "Hurry, come on" Eleonora said tying her tie around her neck.

"You know nobody would blame you for checking ill on your birthday" Suggested Ariel, messing her curls around, "I could do the same, keep you company". Lilianne just laughed, securing her shoes, she would, but she'd end up bored to death. So they grouped to walk to the Great Hall.

Malfoy, Nott and Zabini reached the hall a few minutes before the girls, only to find an anxious Phelps a few seats over their usuals. They looked at him strangely, of the group of fourth years they had befriended, he was the most apathetic towards them, so they let him be.

They had just sat down when a group of gushing forth-years entered the room. Quickly the boy stood and rushed to them. Suspicious. "Hey," He said awkwardly under the gaze of all of them and the freshly arrived students. Lily took a step forward, elated by the special attention she was receiving that day. She just smiled sweetly at him, seeing as he had not said anything yet. And he almost, almost, gathered enough courage to tell her how he felt.

Blaise being the gossip he was, nodded his head towards them. The sitting boys approached, sensing news in the air. The footsteps seemed to wake Warren to at least move. "Lil happy birthday" He said, going ahead for a hug.

This shocked them, "My! Lestrange it's your birthday? I had no idea" Nott said as Lilianne returned the hug with a smile on her face. "Yeah, it is..." She responded before Warren took a step back and pulled her lightly by the arm towards the table.

"Here's your breakfast, birthday girl" He said when she was before the setting he'd placed for her, when she turned to thank him he cut her off, "And I got you a little somethings too" he added.

With anxiety rippling him, he pulled on his robe and presented her with the sweets and then the flowers. She was utterly charmed, a lovely gesture from a dear friend. "You really shouldn't have" She said, taking the box and the flowers. "Someone wanted extra credit" Blaise muttered, standing close to Draco and Theo, the latter just nodded, the first was busy looking at Phelps's every move.

Warren ushered her to sit, following suit after her, their friends accommodating around. Later came Pansy and Daphne, the blonde happy to find Lilianne, give her a hug and a little box saying softly, "It's just a detail, happy birthday".