𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 | 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳

29 || Birthdays || Year Three

"Okay, go!" I said to Maren. She giggled and reached her hand into the bowl of jelly beans, closing her eyes. She drew out a pink bean and wrinkled her nose.

"It's pink!" Tiny exclaimed. "Strawberry or...dead fish."

"Oh gosh," Maren sighed, pinching her nose and popping the jelly bean in her mouth. She chewed slowly, and then opened her eyes.

"Strawb-" her eyes widened and she spit it out, rubbing her tongue. "Blehhh! Dead fish!"

The kids burst into laughter and Noah pointed to me.

"My turn? Okay," I said. Tiny covered my eyes with his small hands and I shuffled around a bit before picking a bean.

Tiny removed his hands and I peered at the jelly bean I held. It was white with some gray and black specks.

"Ewww!" Ella said, banging her fists against her new high-chair.

"Ew is right," I agreed with her, throwing it into my mouth and chewing.

"Cookies and cream," I announced. Everyone sighed. I had avoided a bad flavor yet again.

"How come you always win?" Maren pouted as we cleaned up the boxes and bowls that littered the table.

"I'm special," I said mysteriously, wiggling my fingers. She snorted.

We went upstairs, surveying the room of boisterous young ones before sitting down on our adjacent beds and changing into pajamas.

"What's that?" Maren pointed to my locket.

"Oh, this?" I said, mind racing to come up with a lie that wouldn't expose my magical heritage.

"We match!" Tiny cried, bounding over and showing me the old silver locket I had given him before leaving for my first year. It was hard to believe I was going into third year at Hogwarts in a few weeks.

"We sure do," I said, grinning at him. Noah beckoned Tiny over to join in on a game of hide-and-seek and Maren looked at me pointedly.

"It was a gift," I explained, fingering the keyhole. "From one of my friends at school."

"Is this the same friend you call every Saturday?" Maren raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe," I shrugged.

"Ooooh," she sang, bumping my shoulder. "Ash's got a boyfriend."

"For the last time, Harry's not my boyfriend," I sighed. "We are just friends. Nothing more. How weird would it be if we dated?" I laughed at the absurd idea.

"Right," Maren said, sounding unconvinced. I rolled my eyes.

"Anyway, since I'm going into town tomorrow to use the phone, does Noah need anything?" I usually had to ask Maren for insight on her silent brother, who was warming up to me again, but barely spoke more than a few words to anyone besides Tiny.

"I don't think so," she shook her head. "Prissy asked for more salt, though."

"Okay, I'll pick it up." I lifted the sheets up and slid under them. The sun was starting to go down. Most of the kids were still playing hide-and-seek, but Ella was sitting in her crib.

"FIVE MINUTES!" Maren and I bellowed in sync. We heard the pounding of feet and the kids burst back into the bedroom, going to their respective beds and getting ready as fast as possible so they could play another round.

"'Night, Ashy."

"I told you not to call me that."

"I know."