I'm not a coward, just shy (Hogwarts fanfic)

ch 9- Surprises. The good, the bad and the ugly

The cold nipped annoying at my heels and my breath clouded in front of me. I didn't want to do anything but go back to the room of requirement and curl up in front fire. But nope, Neville had asked me to help him with his homework in the library which took longer than normal. I had seriously thought Neville was getting better at potions too. After that we had 10 minutes to back before curfew and there was no way I could lose Neville without being noticed. We finally got to the portrait still guarded by the knight, Sir Douglas. As we got closer Neville whipped out a sheet of parchment.

"Orange Juice" He read, the portrait swung open, the inside of the common room looking darker than normal.

"You wrote them down?" I asked and Neville nodded furiously.

"Now I won't forgot" He stepped and I climbed in after him.

"Okay, Try not to lose it-"

"SURPRISE!!!"  Suddenly the whole common room light up, bangs of Party popper sounded from all side. A large gold and Red banner read 'Happy Birthday Taylor'. I looked around faces familiar and some I had only seen inside the common.

"Oh my ... god" I stared at the common room not quite believing my eyes. "What is all this" I asked dumpily.

"Well, a little birdie told us that someone has never celebrated their birthday-" Fred appeared at my shoulder.

"-So, we may have pulled a few strings, way Neville did a amazing job keeping you out the common room." George appeared on my other side.

I remembered now, today was the 2nd of December, it was my birthday and I had never noticed.

"But how-" I asked still a bit in shock. They just grinned, making me smile in turn, my face turning pink.

"Come on, Let the celebration begin" They cheered in unison and suddenly the common room was alive with music and Chatter and dancing. Ginny pulled me along to the loud and lively music, Giggling at my two left feet and the infectiousness of the mood. By the time we had to step to the step we were out of breath and beside ourselves with laugher.

"This is amazing" I gasping finally gaining enough composer to speak, "-But how you get it pass my vision." I asked her as we slumped it down into the only large chair with was lucky made from a bigger man than the
two of us.

"That was actually Fred and George's idea. What they did was not make anything certain and they told everyone different things, so nothing was certain, of course everyone was confused since they don't know and I don't quite understand myself, but it was bloody brilliant" She scoffed, bursting into another fit of laugher.

"Oh, I almost forgot" She smiled, fishing in her robes, bringing out a box of chocolate frogs and a card. "The frogs are from me, the card is from Professor Lupin" She handed me them.

"Thank you" I said taking the card and carefully breaking the seal.

Inside was a wizard picture of six smiling face. One I recognized as a young Remus, a dark hair man had his arms around the shoulders of Remus and a man with glasses. He was less scarred and less tired and looked very happy. I turned over to see the back. In hard to read hand writing it read.

'7th year at Hogwarts, in order of standing, at the back. Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter. Standing in front, Lily soon to be potter and Emily Fleet'.

I read the last name around and I turned the picture and stared at the smiling women. She was small and shy looking. Her hair hung in dark brown curls. Her eyes a bright amber behind her large glasses. She was dressed in Ravenclaw robes while the others were dressed in Gryffindor robes. She had my face. She was beautiful. I wrapped away a tear from my eye, hoping no one noticed. I showed Ginny, pointing at the women.