Golden Girl; 𝓕𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂

Fifth Year: Sweet Sixteen (Part 1)

The door creaked open as Bambi, Angelina, and Alicia stepped onto the top of the staircase overlooking the Gryffindor common room. Before Bambi had a moment to take in the sight, a loud cheer rose from below.

"They're here!" someone called out.

In an instant, the room erupted with a burst of colourful fireworks, casting flashes of brilliant reds, golds, and greens across every surface. Floating, glowing streamers in Gryffindor red and gold wove gracefully through the air, glinting like enchanted fairy lights. Banners stretched across the walls, each one reading "Happy Birthday, Bambi and Angelina!" in sparkling letters that caught and shimmered in the light.

The ceiling was filled with enchanted balloons that changed colours as they floated, shifting between shades of gold, crimson, and a soft orange that seemed to warm the room. The tables below were piled high with sweets, from pumpkin pastries to bowls of jelly slugs and chocolate frogs. Bottles of Butterbeer were lined up in rows, and tucked nearby were several bottles of Firewhiskey Fred and George must have smuggled in from Hogsmeade.

And at the very centre of it all was a small pyramid of wizard crackers stacked high, each one packed with spells and enchantments, ready to pop and unleash even more magic into the air.

"Surprise!!" George's voice boomed from across the room, grinning up at them as he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Get down here, birthday girls!"

Bambi blinked, her heart pounding with excitement as she looked around at the room that had been transformed into a celebration she hadn't expected. Her gaze landed on George, looking smug in a bright purple shirt and tan trousers. His collar was unbuttoned just enough to flaunt a hint of confidence, clearly enjoying the attention he brought from it as he tugged nonchalantly at his neckline. Fred stood beside him, hands in his pockets, mirroring the look with a deep green shirt that brought out the glint of humour in his eyes. Fred met her gaze, his casual expression faltering as he caught sight of her.

The air felt charged as they locked eyes, and Bambi's stomach did a funny swoop. She was suddenly hyper-aware of her new haircut, of her deep cut short dress, of the heavy bold makeup Angelina had insisted on her wearing.

"What if he hates it?"

The thought made her heart skip uncomfortably, and she tugged up at the neckline of her dress in an attempt to cover herself more. She glanced back at Fred, who, for once, looked downright stunned, his eyes fixed on her like he was seeing her for the first time.

George turned to Fred, grinning with unmistakable glee, nudging him in the ribs as he leaned over to mutter something. Fred blinked, catching himself, his mouth closing tightly shut as his face reddened. He quickly threw on a lopsided boyish grin, the tips of his ears going pink in a way that looked so out of character that Bambi couldn't help but grin back.

Beside her, Angelina looped an arm through hers and whispered, "Come on, you look great" with a reassuring squeeze. Bambi let Angelina pull her through the crowd, trying to ignore the fluttering in her chest as they approached the twins.

"Hey!" she called out, forcing a casual smile to mask her nerves. "Thanks for all this, you two. It's... brilliant." She gestured at the decorations, the mountain of snacks, the whole extravagant setup.

"Well, it's not every day our favourite girl turns sixteen," George said, pulling her into a quick hug. "Girls," he corrected, shooting Angelina a wink. Then his eyes flicked back to Bambi, mischief sparkling. "And what's this? New hair?" He tugged on a curl, letting it spring back.

"Oi! Hands off!" Bambi swatted him, laughing. "You have no idea how much Sleekeazy's it took to get it like this!"

"Well, it fits you well, Bambs," George said with an amused laugh, holding his hands up in surrender.