Birthday Surprises

[Alex Zander]

Climbing out of bed Alex made his way towards the lounge of his cabin to see if any owls had arrived. Today was his birthday and he had sent his parents many letters telling them what he wanted for his sixteenth birthday, though he didn’t know whether they would have had time to organise them. As he approached the lounge he heard squawking in saw some owl feathers flying across the hallway entrance.

He smiled when he walked forward and saw four kookaburra’s baring packages and another six owls, this interested him because it meant his family overseas had also remembered it was his birthday today.

Smiling he moved towards them and one by one removed the packages from their legs. When he had finished he was sure to lay out a platter of bird treats and then stood back while the Owls and Kookaburra’s played turf wars over the food.

Turning away from them he looked around at his gifts, wondering which one he should open first.

[Elouise Sullivan]

There came a knocking at the door, which was both quick and excitable. Elouise had not sent Alex’s birthday present to him as she found it was always a lot more fun to deliver gifts by hand, that and she would really be able to tell whether he liked it or whether he had pretended to and actually thrown it under his bed for ‘later usage’ which normally meant never and ‘I don’t like it’ not that she ever expected him to not like her gifts.

She found she had something of a talent when buying for boys, they were rather simple creatures with simple needs, she didn’t really expect Alex to want anything intellectual and knew it would be foolish to buy something with such aspects.

She continued knocking as she stood on the mat, she was alone, and there were a few people stirring, but apart from this it was also fairly early and she was quite cold. The mountain breeze that flew down and across the lake was somewhat chilly and she was still in her nightclothes wrapped in a dressing gown for extra warmth.

“Hello,” she called through the door knowing Alex was probably tearing into his gifts already, and was that… yes, she was sure of it, was that an owl hooting indignantly and a kookaburra laughing in reply?

[Alex Zander]

Alex scrambled through the mess of paper in his living room as he tripped a couple fo times and finally made it to his cabin door. Never mind the fact that he was only wearing his boxer shorts. He pulled the door wide to greet whomever would be here to wish him well on his birthday, which is what he expected it could be. Opening the door widely seemed to be a bit of a mistake though as it appeared to be quite chilly outside and his nipples went hard instantly.

“Come in, quickly” he told her grabbing her arm and pulling her inside before shutting the door again. It was his birthday and he was very happy, all the same though it was a bit cold outdoors. It was at this time he realised the fire was burning merrily in his fireplace as if it had sensed his discomfort now putting out more heat.

“Good morning!” he said in quite an excitable tone. This was his second favourite day of the year, his first favourite being Christmas time. He smiled and drew her into a hug he knew Godric might not have approved of if he had seen Alex was wearing nothing but his boxer shorts.

“So, what did you get me?” he grinned knowing exactly why she was here, she did this every year and every year he looked forward to it. She seemed to put so much more care into her gift giving then anyone else did.

[Elouise Sullivan]

((Nothing but your boxer shorts, Aye?))

Elouise smiled at his excitement though was it perhaps the kind of excitement she had expected? ((nothing intended of course)) She smiled when she handed him his Birthday present and waited for him to open it. She had thought long and hard about the gift she would give him this year and was happy that this one was something he had been asking for a lot. Maybe he meant to plant the idea in her head? She didn’t know, but all the same she was confident that this was what he wanted.

“Expecting company?” She smiled, it was a sarcastic remark, but one done as a joke more then to hurt. His lounge room was a right mess and she could not help but fidget as she looked around thinking it would only take a simple spell to set the room right again. She knew how Alex liked his mess, and it was wrapping paper… so maybe he wanted it to be messy.

“Has Godric been to see you this morning?” she asked knowing he would not have. If he had he would likely still be here, all the same, Elouise was rather hoping to catch him here today. She came to settle on the single armchair tucking her feet up behind her. It was chilly and she was hoping to soak up some of the heat from the fireplace before she headed back out again.

“Of course we will be having a party then?” she smiled at him knowing he would have something planned, and if he did not, something would be quite easily organised.

[Godric Emerindyl]

There was a brief knock at the door before Gpodric let himself into Alex’s cabin. They had been friends for such a long time that he knew better then to stand at the door and wait to be told to come in. He entered the cabin seeing Elouise sitting down and noticed that she was still in her pyjamas. Godric had been up for a little while and was already dressed in casual robes in celebration of the occasion, a wrapped gift in his hand.

“Have a present,” he said tossing it to Alex before sitting on the arm of the lounge by Elouise watching Alex as a father would his son. Alex seemed to be really enjoying himself in his mess of wrapping. Godric knew he had always been this way, and found it as funny as he always did.

“What else you get?” he asked looking at the mess of wrap, whatever else Alex got was concealed by the mess on the ground, and Godric thought it impolite to start digging around. They were god friends, but he was still not that interested in seeing things if it meant he had to get up. He waited while Alex did what he was doing, wondering whether he would like his gift. Smiling all the time. Godric liked birthday’s. Especially those of his friends.

[Lara Watt]

“Hey Zander, you better be decent in there and not be running around starkers…” Lara called out as she gave a brief knock on the ever so slightly ajar door to Alex’s cabin, Lara figured he must have opened his door and not have closed it properly so as she pushed it open and looked up from the ground where she had been watching her feet to make sure she didn’t trip over, only to her embarrassment find Elouise and Godric sitting in the room as well.

“I, ah, um, Hello everybody!” Lara said almost a little to cheerful from the two wrapped boxes that were in her arms. “It seems that everyone gets my cabin mixed up when its someone else’s birthday cause I seem to get their presents on my doorstep. Strange really. Good to see you get dressed for company as well Alex”

Lara closed the door with the sole of her shoe since her hands were currently busy trying not to drop any of the presents cause she had no idea whether the one that wasn’t from her was fragile or not. Looking around the room, she couldn’t help but notice how colourful it looks with the paper being haphazardly thrown everywhere on the floor. Shrugging to herself she placed them down on the floor in front of him before backing away to stand towards the door feeling very much like she had just interrupted something.

Lara had gone searching for a present over the holidays because she had wanted the largest range possible to shop for her friends. And while It had seemed like the perfect present then now she couldn’t help but think that maybe it was more that a little childish and not exactly up Alex’s alley of interest.

“Perhaps I should go, and leave you all to the opening of present’s celebrations, and Alex can open that present from me, later when you’re by yourself. Yes, that sounds good…” Lara tailed off not really noticing her last line of comment had been directed to herself. For some reason she felt nervous about being in the room with these particular three other people, that’s was six eyes, two a set watching her, and Lara thought ti was way to early to be watched and she didn’t know she could go that long without saying or doing something completely stupid and idiotic.

[Elouise Sullivan]

Elouise heard the voice at the door and would have been a little uncomfortable being caught with her pyjamas on if Godric was not there as well. She knew Godric would not have thought anything about her being alone with Alex while he was only in his boxer shorts, but for someone else, it would almost certainly start rumours that might not have a very good affect on her relationship with Godric. Not that there wasn’t already something up in that department anyway.

She saw the face and heard the awkward greeting and knew this must be hard for Lara. Elouise knew she was part of a clique that a lot of people found daunting. She didn’t need to pretend she didn’t know she was probably the most popular girl in the Emerindyl House, everyone knew it. And the fact that she was with the headmaster’s son just made the whole thing that much more juicier.

On top of this Godric was Head Boy and the Quidditch Captain for Emerindyl House. In there own rights, they were the elitist group of Emerindyl House, no wonder walking in on them would have been a little daunting.

Elouise smiled at her though, she might have had the right to be a bit of a snob, but that was not in her nature at all. She stood seeing the girl looked a little apprehensive and invited her into the kitchen for something to drink, “Hot chocolate anyone?” she smiled as she navigated her way through the wrapping into the kitchen.

“And I might even be nice enough to whip you up some of my world famous secret recipe pancakes Mr Birthday Boy,” Elouise smiled before looking to Lara, “Would you like to give me a hand?” she hoped this would be taken as an invitation to stay. The three of them would likely have had breakfast together anyway and they were usually joined by a forth whom was usually Alex’s girlfriend, who was annually a different girl and this year he had none.

“Hot chocolate boys?” she asked again as she filled the kettle and put it onto the stove watching it heat up, the steam of which tumbled up the roof where in magically disappeared without leaving a wet mark. She opened the cupboard and pulled out four large mugs, knowing she would make them all a hot chocolate even if they declined. They would drink it anyway.

[Lara Watt]

Lara looked at the other girl with something of a mixed expression of relief and mortification. She knew Elouise from a distance as did most people in her house, the often polite exchanges of greetings or time spend together through the presence of a mutual third party. But now being in a kitchen with the girl, Lara really hadn’t mean to interrupt, honestly and going into a place full of sharp pointed utensils that could cause more that a little bodily harm to her, it all screamed a badly written horror movie and obviously a bad idea.

“Sure” Lara said returning the smile Elouise gave her with a shaky one of her own, while inwardly cursing her legs for not getting quicker out the door way. As she walked over to where Elouise was busying herself in with the kettle Lara tried to think of something to say and not seem like a complete loser. “Fair warning though, I’m more of a hindrance than a help in the kitchen”

Whatever Lara would do without putting her foot in her mouth every five seconds? She surely would have a lot of spare time on her hands, maybe she could have taken up knitting or something.

Lara knew the social status hierarchy at Koalingo. What seventh year, especially female, didn’t? The male side of it was all very easily understandable, you had King Godric being both head boy and quidditch captain, then followed the three princes, or in other words quidditch captains of the other houses; Jay Rastan of Saphricorn, Lachlan Hollingworth of Ameraid, and Lucius Sinister, then it was the usual battle of which guy was hotter. Although the battle of the princes was depended on your position of fancy, for the pureblood vote it was between Jay and Lucius, or the nice guy vote was between Lachlan and Jay. It was all a matter of prospective.

The female branch was not as clear given all sporting positions of power had been delegated to the males, there wasn’t a clear position for Queen, there had always been the unspoken competition for the spot between Elouise and Aurora Celeste, although most people seemed to be bias on this matter it was never really reached a consensus on it, the rest of the girls followed by looks and personality, Lara liked to think she wasn’t too far from the top, she was more that above average in the looks and she thought she had a decent personality, and she was a seventh year. It didn’t phase her in the least though, she went on living her life to her own drum beat not that of the social politics of the schoolyard.

Looking over her shoulder at the boys who were still together in the other room, before looking to the slightly younger girl who was still going about getting everything ready as the kettle bubbled and boiled away happily.

“I really didn’t mean to interrupt anything this morning, I swear. Someone left a present on my doorstep and since I remembered it was Alex’s birthday I guess they got the cabin numbers mixed up, even after all this time, although I didn’t check for a tag so I grabbed my present for him and just brought them over.” Lara said, for some odd reason feeling like she had to explain her calling in to Alex’s cabin this time of morning. Gesturing to the other girl’s attire before saying, “If I had known it would turn into a Pyjama party I would have worn mine.”

Lara could almost see her foot jumping into her mouth with that last comment.

[Elouise Sullivan]

Elouise laughed a colourful twittering laugh that could have put some of the most beautiful birds to shame. She knew this girl was probably a little uncomfortable in her current company and would feel that she needed to explain herself, but all the same, it was not necessary. Elouise and Godric were perhaps the King and Queen of Emerindyl house… if that is the way you wanted to put it. But likewise they did not choose to distance themselves from others. They were Emerindyl’s true and through and liked to think they were approachable by anyone.

“It’s ok,” Elouise smiled at her with a warm and encouraging smile she hoped would let the girl know that she had no desire for her to be a kitchen slave. She would definitely include her in the preparation of the food (where possible) but on the whole she was just looking for some company while she busied herself in the kitchen and left the boy’s to their devices. There was a great deal of new stuff in the lounge room and she did not doubt Godric and Alex’s interests in looking through it all in detail.

Boy’s were like that.

She smiled when she handed Lara a platter with some smaller plates, four of them. She would not take excuses; she wanted to include Lara this morning. It had been such a long time since Alex had shown specific interest in a girl, and this one seemed his type. Her warning alone of him being ‘starkers’ was something she expected from Alex, and to have it come from a girl… she was practically the female version of him.

“I am going to show you how to whip up the best pancakes in the world,” she laughed when she turned to the stove again and took the kettle off. She had already broken up pieces of cooking chocolate and had added laborious amounts of it to each cup. She tapped the side of the kettle and as she poured; the liquid that came out of it was not the water she had put in their, but a thick and steaming milk.

She tapped each mug with the tip of her wand and the contents stirred rapidly without spilling. At last all of the chocolate had melted and the ending product was a thick and creamy hot chocolate. She bewitched two of them to float into the lounge where they rested on the mantel above the fireplace. The smell would undoubtedly attract the boys soon enough. If there was one thing Elouise knew, it was how to attract the boy’s.

“A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” she twittered again as she pulled out a mixing bowl and started stirring with her wand. A thick golden substance issued from the end of it like pancake batter and she moved away from her wand leaving it stirring. She moved her hand over the heating elements and a frying pan appeared sizzling with butter. This was about the pinnacle of her wand less magic ability and came in handy in a place where a free hand meant more could be done faster.

She moved to th bowl and grabbed her wand again and continued stirring for a moment longer. She moved back to the fry pan with the bowl and tipped some of the contents into the frying pan, “Blueberry I think” she said as she tapped her wand as if she were tapping the tip off a stick of incense and watched a couple of purple spots appear in the pancakes she had poured into the frying pan.

There were four of them. She swished the frying pan a little and flicked it. The pancakes jumped out of the pan, flipped, and landed again on the opposite side.

“So,” she smiled looking over her shoulder at Lara, “You know Alex well, then?”

[Holly MacFarlane]

"Happy Birthday to you!" Holly sang as she came through the door with a large box in her hands, wrapped in brightly coloured paper. There were others in the room, but her concentration was on the Birthday boy for now.

Locating him, she walked over to Alex and dumped the box in his arms. The two of them had been friends since their first year and it was tradition for them to try and find the biggest present they could for each of their birthdays every year. Grinning, she gave him a big hug, squishing the box slightly between the two of them.

Straightening up, she looked around to the other Emerindyls in the room. There was of course Godric and Elouise, who she'd been good friends with for a long time. She hadn't realised they would be here of course, though that was because she normally caught up with Alex over lunch, stealing her friend away for half an hour or so. There was another girl there too, older than she was, though her name escaped Holly temporarily. Perhaps it would come to her later.

She smiled at them all and uttered a cheery "Good morning!" before walking towards the fire to warm her hands. It was unusuallycold outside that morning, which was perhaps why she was so surprised to see Alex in just his boxers. Still, one could appreciate the view...

She saw there were only four plates out and expected that Elouise was making her famous and most delicious pancakes for breakfast. It was then that she decided she was going to stay, invitation or not. Those pancakes were too good to worry about being rude and inviting ones self.

[Lara Watt]

Watching amazedly as Elouise had displayed a obvious culinary talent which showed by how she deftly moved around the small kitchen as if she own it. More than slightly envious because she couldn’t boil water on a stove without managing to burn out the pot’s bottom, Lara took note of all the other girl’s movement wondering if maybe she should ask her for some tips in the kitchen or some tutoring in the area. Realising how stupid that would sound, she lucky kept her mouth shut so she didn’t say what she was thinking. For once.

Lara had been about to answer Elouise’s question of how well she knew Alex but some off key singing caused her to close her mouth and turn around when she had been about to speak. She tried to place the other girl for she did look somewhat familiar but her brain was still slightly in its usual morning daze, but she did realise one thing. This was presented her with an escape thanks to the new arrival. She knew the girl was below a year level and also on the quidditch team, but Lara couldn’t really say she knew anything else about the girl not that it mattered; the girl gave her an opening to leave before she made a fool of herself in front of a now larger audience.

“Ah well, would you look at the time. I should be going, it was nice talking to you, however briefly Elouise.” Lara said with a smile, before placing the tray of plates on a counter surface before she dropped them in her haste to leave. “Thank you for the hot chocolate also”

At this point Lara picked up her mug and skulled down the hot contents, taking all she had not to wheeze or cry as the hot liquid seemed to burn her throat on the way down. Putting the mug in the sink, she gave the other girl a smile before entering the other room.

“Alright” Lara said but her voice raspy form the drink, so she cleared it a few times. “That’s better. I just realised I have I need to be somewhat urgently. See you boys later, bye Elouise.”

Lara headed for the door she nodded to the girl whose name she couldn’t quite recall, but for some reason she kept thinking of the name Harriet or something similar. “Bye. And open my present later Zander”

And in a whirl of blonde hair and green house robes, Lara had left the cabin, closing the door behind her as she leant back against it for a moment and let out a deep breath before looking up and ahead of her.

“Well, it could have been worse, and I didn’t trip over” She said to herself with a shrug as she set off towards the castle entrance from the Emerindyl lake, hoping nobody thought her rude for her abrupt departure, but she really need to get over her complex of making a fool of herself in public, it really was affecting her social life.

[Godric Emerindyl]

Godric watched the newcomer and Elouise go into the kitchen. He knew of Lara as she was in his grade, though he had very little to do with her in the past and knew her only for the remarks she made in class or anything house related that she volunteered for. Beyond that he didn’t know a whole lot about her.

When Holly walked in, now there was a girl Godric knew. She was the Emerindyl Quidditch Team Keeper and had been for a couple of years now. As the team Captain Godric had had a lot of interaction with her, and they were something closer to friends then acquaintances.

He stepped back when she came stumbling in with the large package handing it to Alex. He smiled at her by way of greeting when she bid them all farewell and flicked his wand summoning his hot chocolate to himself. He liked Holly, but he was not about tom leave his hot chocolate unattended in her presence, especially when Elouise made it. If there was one thing you could not fault Elouise on it was her ability in the kitchen, and he didn’t just mean with food.

Godric watched and waited as Alex attacked his presents and wondered now if he had possibly missed Alex opening the one he had given him. He saw it sitting on the ground though and knew that this was probably among many others that had also not been touched.

He closed his eyes and breathed in the smell that wafted from the kitchen “Blueberry,” he smiled as he could smell it, the sweet tang of cooking butter and blueberry’s with the pancake mix he had only ever known Elouise to perfect.

He waited eagerly, smiling at the scent as he opened his eyes.