Fate Untold (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 4: The Truth

Ashley had woken up the moment she heard her bedroom door open. It wasn't hard to figure out who had entered, her soul practically called out to them. However, she kept her eyes shut and her body stock still, unwilling to fully exit the realm of sleep just yet. Her body clock had deemed it much too early and there were seldom times that happened after being raised to get up before everyone else did. She let out a sigh and snuggled deeper into the comfort of her duvet. She was on the verge of dozing off until a shameful yelp echoed through the room, accompanied by a soft thud, and followed by an amused chuckle.

"You didn't see anything, Moony."

"Of course not, Padfoot."

Ashley guessed that if she had opened her eyes, she would have witnessed Sirius trip and fall. If she knew him well enough, and she did, he was most likely pouting. It was a tempting sight to see, incredibly so, but she was still reluctant to leave her bed. She refused to stop attempting to go back to sleep. But then, the mattress sunk in front of her, indicating that one of her soul-bonded had taken a seat. Remus, she sensed. He rested a hand on her bare arm and shook her gently.

"Cub? Wake up, sweetheart." He crooned.

Ashley groaned and rolled to face the other way. She threw the duvet over her head to cover herself but it was soon snatched from her grip. Blinking blearily, she narrowed her eyes at Sirius who had plopped down parallel to Remus. Her breath hitched when the Animagus leaned down; close enough that she was able to see him clearly without the help of her glasses. And that was pretty damn close, she had horrible eyesight. She unconsciously swallowed, getting even more flustered when her eyes focused on the smirk painted on the Animagus' lips. She didn't have the strength to fight the smile that broke through her irritated facade when he planted a kiss on her temple.

"Good morning." He grinned.

He moved back, giving Ashley space to sit up and rub her eyes. Yawning, she went to ask for her glasses when they appeared in front of her, resting on Remus' hand. She thanked him and grabbed her wand, lazily casting Tempus. She gaped at the time the spell revealed.

"Siri, Remy, it's only 6 AM!" She whined.

"We know it's early, but it's your first birthday with us ever since we got you back." Remus explained.

"We would have thrown you a party but since you'll have to leave for Hogwarts in a few hours, we'll just have to make the most of this morning." Sirius shrugged.

Oh, right, it's my birthday.

How the hell had Ashley managed to forget her own birthday? Well, admittedly, she had been fixed on other...more important thoughts. The search for the Tree of Life was still fruitless so that had certainly kept her mind occupied. Still, forgetting her very own birthday? She'd always been the first one to greet herself when midnight arrived because she knew no one else would care if it was her special day. But that wasn't true anymore; she had proper friends and family now. She didn't need to spend her birthday (or any day, really) all alone anymore.

"I actually forgot today's my birthday. Thank you for remembering."

"That's nothing to thank us for, cub."

"We've noticed that you've been a bit down lately. We don't know why and we won't pester you with questions, but all we ask of you is to focus on us for the day so that we can make you happy like we promised. Now, where's that lovely smile of yours?"

Ashley felt as if she would melt at any given moment. She loved that her soul-bonded were concerned for her yet still respected her privacy. The corner of her lips tipped upwards into a small smile but that didn't satisfy Sirius. He lunged and reached for her sides, tickling her furiously. She squealed amidst the laugh that burst from her and attempted to wriggle away but he firmly held her down. Eventually, Remus took pity on her and saved her from Sirius. The werewolf pulled her into his lap, silencing her immediately. He rubbed her aching cheeks and kissed her heated, red-tinted skin, right on the scar on her forehead.