The Squib and the Werewolf

17. Presents And Cake

Dating Sirius in secret turned out to be a lot harder than Raya had imagined.
She wanted to hold his hand and kiss him all the time, but she knew she couldn't do those things, unless she wanted everyone to know the truth.
It was rare for the pair to get any alone time together, as there was usually at least one other Marauder present when they were hanging out.
Luckily for them, since Peter was oblivious to most things, they could do a lot of flirting with him watching, without him realising that that's what they were doing.
But they had to keep their hands off each other when around James and Remus, for they were bound to notice all the looks Sirius and Raya gave each other.

With Sirius as her boyfriend, Raya felt happier than ever. She was sure that the two of them were meant to be together.
The two of them were already great friends, so being boyfriend and girlfriend only boosted their friendship.
When Sirius's birthday arrived in November, they were still dating, which meant they'd lasted longer than some of Sirius's previous relationships.
"Happy 16th birthday Padfoot" said James, as he dumped a large box in front of Sirius.
The Marauders were all sat in the boys dormitory, inside a pillow fort they'd made, complete with fairy lights and chocolates.
"Thanks mate" beamed Sirius, as he began unwrapping his present from James.
"You're welcome" replied James.

Once the wrapping paper was off, Sirius opened the box, revealing a large red and gold jumper inside.
"I noticed that your old Gryffindor Quidditch jumper was getting a bit small and tatty from you wearing it all the time, so I thought I'd buy you a new one, as I know how much your parents hate buying Gryffindor stuff" admitted James.
Sirius pulled the jumper on over his clothes, and smiled as he looked down at himself.
"Perfect fit, thanks Prongs" said Sirius.
"There's also some sweets in the box as well" replied James.
"Cool".

Sirius then went around the circle, opening everyone's gifts to him, leaving Raya until last.
Raya was sat next to Sirius, and they were so close that their knees were touching, which made it hard for her to concentrate on anything other than him.
"Yours is the smallest box" pointed out Peter.
"Just because it's the smallest, it doesn't mean it's worth any less than anyone elses" insisted Raya, as she handed the box over to Sirius.
"I hope you didn't spend too much money on me, because you know I wouldn't want that" admitted Sirius, as he took the box, allowing their fingers to touch for a moment, before he pulled his hand back.
"Don't worry, I didn't go overboard, since I don't have much money to spend" replied Raya.

Sirius opened the box more carefully than he done for the others, and his face lit up when he saw what was inside.
"Man jewellery" grinned Sirius, as he began putting on all the silver rings, bracelets, and necklaces that Raya have bought him.
"I don't think you are supposed to wear them all at once. Not that I'd know though, since I don't wear much jewellery myself" replied Raya.
"I think it looks great when you wear it all together like this"
"Even over a Gryffindor jumper?"
"I mean, it will probably look better accompanied with my cool clothes and leather jacket, but the necklaces don't look bad over my Quidditch jumper. Where did you get all this anyway? If must have cost a fortune"
"It didn't cost as much as you'd think. And I got it all in Cranville Quincey's Magical Junkshop, in Diagon Alley"
"It's a nice place, I like going in there from time to time".

Peter frowned, "I don't understand why you got Sirius jewellery. I mean, that kind of stuff is for girls".
"Wormtail, my friend, have you been living under a rock? Jewellery is for everyone, regardless of their gender. And man jewellery is very in right now. All the Muggle rock stars are wearing necklaces like this" informed Sirius, as he showed off the silver chain around his neck.
"Well, I wouldn't know, I'm not a Muggle" mumbled Peter.
"Trust me on this, jewellery is super cool right now" insisted Sirius.

Sirius lent over and ruffled Raya's hair, before kissing her cheek.
"Thanks for the gift" said Sirius.
To anyone else, what he had done would look like a friendly gesture, but Raya knew it meant much more than that, which is why she had to stop herself from grinning in excitement.
"Just wait until your mother sees you looking like that when you get off the train next summer" grinned James.
"With any luck she'll drop dead at the sight of me looking like a Muggle, and I won't have to deal with her anymore" replied Sirius.

"You shouldn't joke about things like that" scolded Remus.
"Who said I was joking? You don't know my mother, she is evil incarnate. She makes this Lord Voldemort look like a nice old man" admitted Sirius.
"Saying his name is bad luck" shuddered Peter.
"No it's not. People are just too scared to use his name anymore, because he frightens them. What's that thing you always say Raya?" Asked Sirius.
"Fear of the name, only increases fear of the thing itself" answered Raya.
"That's it. So you see, you shouldn't be afraid of saying his name, because it's only going to make you more afraid of him. Which is why I'm always going to call him Voldemort" announced Sirius.

"Not everyone is as brave as you though" reminded Raya.
"Maybe not. But we are the Marauders. We are all as brave as each other... Now enough about old Moldy Voldy, let's get back to my birthday celebrations" instructed Sirius.
"Rightio. Well, Peter was in charge of the cake this year" revealed James.
"Nice. What did you get for me Wormy?" Questioned Sirius.
Peter blushed, "I got my mum to bake it, and send it to me via owl post, so it is a little squashed".
"I'm sure it will taste just fine" insisted Raya, as Peter removed the cake from the tupperwear box.
"Yeah, your mother is brilliant at cooking cakes and biscuits afterall. So, any cake she has made will taste great, even if it is a bit squashed" added Sirius.

Peter placed the large cake into the centre of the circle, and everyone's mouths began to water.
"Hmm, it looks amazing" complimented Sirius.
"It does. And I was on utensils duty, so I knicked a bunch of plates and cutlery from the Great Hall this morning" informed James.
"Good, because I wasn't looking forward to eating this with my hands, because the icing would go everywhere" admitted Raya.
James quickly handed out a plate and fork to everyone, before handing the large knife to Sirius, so he could cut the cake.
"Thank you all for making my birthday so enjoyable. Now, tuck in" announced Sirius.