The Confectionary Chronicles || HP/SPN

Lollies and Loki- CH37

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN:

The first hints of dawn were just creeping into the sky when Hermione woke on the morning of her eleventh birthday. As she blinked sleepily around at her room, she couldn't help her giggles as she took in the decorations— at some point during the night, a factory that manufactured party supplies had exploded in her room... or that's what it looked like, anyway. Confetti and glitter covered every surface, garlands of streamers draped across the walls, window, overhanging light and bedroom furniture, her ceiling was completely obscured by the sheer number of balloons, a neon yellow party hat had been stuck on a disgruntled Vashti's head and a large stack of presents wrapped in colourful paper was piled at the foot of her bed, with the exception of one larger one which had to be placed on the floor.

Her god spoiled her rotten and Hermione couldn't help but love him for it.

"Happy Birthday!" the god in question crowed, appearing in a burst of bright purple smoke and coloured confetti that joined the rest on the ground. Hermione threw back her blanket, sending off another cloud of glitter and confetti into the air, and literally leapt from the mattress and into his arms. Loki caught her, just like she knew he would, and spun her around until she thought she might be sick, and she just snuggled in closer.

A part of her would forever marvel at the fact that this was her god she was touching, that he was holding her andhugging her and was so overwhelmingly present. Their relationship had gone through many changes in the three and a half years they'd known each other, and it felt like she'd aged a million years over the journey that took her from petitioner to devotee to priestess, then changing again after Odin had taken her, when Loki done something, something intangible and indescribable, so he'd always be able to find her, to something even closer.

Sometimes everything was so overwhelming, like the world was spinning too fast on its axis, a fairground ride out of control, but Loki was always there for her; he was the pillar in the chaos, the sun warming her skin when she was cold, heating her up from the outside in and the inside out with his bright smiles and joyous laughter and love, so, so much love.

"Happy eleventh birthday," he murmured into her head of sleep-wild curls, and she tilted her head so she could beam up at him.

"I get my Hogwarts letter today!" she exclaimed, and he grinned at her.

"Yes you do, but first— present time!" he announced, looking as excited as a child who'd just eaten their own weight in ice-cream, and after wobbling a bit once he'd placed her on the ground (the room was still spinning slightly), Hermione set upon her stack of presents with an excitement tempered only by the reverence she felt that she had people who cared for her so much.

There were lollies, of course— Loki had a sweet-tooth the size of a mammoth's molar, and he'd passed his predilection on to his children. Fenris had sent her a hamper filled with sweets from across the world, the wolf-god having been doing some travelling after his powers had been restored.

Eris had sent her several dresses, all of them almost-modern takes on traditional styles, and all of them breathtakingly beautiful. Hermione stroked the brightly cut fabrics, silks, gauze, velvets, chiffon and more, with reverence and sent the Greek goddess a prayer of thanks.

Váli had gifted her with a new set of karambits, these ones military grade and designed for fluid motion and easy application of leverage, and a keris dagger that he described in the accompanying card had been forged three hundred years ago and would rattle in its sheathe to warn her of danger.

Hati had also sent her blades for her birthday, which wasn't surprising, but Hermione was surprised by how aesthetically pleasing the set of stiletto knives were. Deceptively small, delicate and dainty-looking, the blades were light as feathers and beautiful with their floral engravings— according to Hati's note, they were designed for throwing, which was to be her next lesson.