the cadence of part time poets

Chapter 21: Happy Birthday, Remus

You say it's your birthday,
It's my birthday too, yeah;
They say it's your birthday,
We're gonna have a good time;
I'm glad it's your birthday,
Happy birthday to you!

- "Birthday" The Beatles, 1968

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY REMUS!" The girls shouted in unison, just as he'd managed to haul himself through their dorm window. Remus dropped down on the rug with a grunt, grateful that they had shifted their wardrobe hutches slightly out of the way for easier entry this time around.

"Cheers guys," he said, dusting off his shirt. Both Lily and Mary came toward the window, each taking one of Remus' arms and leading him forward. A deep blue armchair that they must've nicked from the Rowena common room sat squarely between Lottie and Marlene's beds and they pushed him down into it none-too-eagerly.

"Sit, sit," Lily said. "The chair was Marlene's idea, since she was the one who found you on the floor after my birthday."

Marlene smiled shyly from her bed, drink already in hand. "Just in case."

Mary passed Remus a drink—cranberry juice and vodka—and Remus raised it to them before drinking deeply. It was tart and gave quite the kick, but he didn't mind much. It was better that they were all at least a little gassed for the evening's events anyway. Lottie had played her part well, it seemed, and both she and Mary made more than a few sneaky glances in his direction while Lily and Marlene remained blissfully unaware.

"It really is a nice night out tonight," Mary remarked after a while. Once she'd served them all a second round of drinks, she'd set herself up a nice spot on top of her hutch and remained camped out by the open window as though she were waiting for someone.

"We could go for a walk," Lily said, distinctly unprefect-like. There was a stark difference between a sober Evans and the person she became when she had a drink in hand. "Figure we could make it down to the lake?"

Marlene shook her head. "Lake Dubh is freezing even in the summer. I'd rather not pretend like a visit in March is a good idea."

"It's not your birthday," Lottie said, "it's Remus'. Don't you want to go out, Remus?"

Remus finished off his second vodka-cranberry and took a breath. Trust Lottie to forget the very thing they were waiting for. "I'm happy here," he said simply. Lily had put on an album, Simon and Garfunkel, and he'd been bobbing his head along to it for some time.

"We should play another game," Marlene said, before giggling. "But not truth or dare."

"Two truths and a lie, then!" Mary called.

"You just want to know all our secrets," Remus said, trying his best not to slur his words. Mary did know how to mix a stiff drink.

"Of course! What sort of friends would we be if we didn't share all our darkest secrets?"

At Mary's words, Remus looked to Lily, who scrunched her eyebrows but smiled. "What are you thinking, Remus?"

"Nothin'."

"Liar. You gave me a look."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"I know what the look was for!" Lottie exclaimed, sitting up on her bed. She had Remus' new Godric-red tie around her neck like it was an ascot. He might've been afraid she'd spill the beans right there, if Mary hadn't let out an ear-piercing scream at the same moment and launched herself off the wardrobe hutch.

"You buggar!" She wailed, holding her side as Sirius leaned over the edge of the girls' window, pushing his dark hair out of his eyes.

"It was just a little pinch, Macdonald. You didn't see me waving."