✓ | MISCHIEF MANAGED | James Potter V.S. Sirius Black

12 : Little Things

You'll never love yourself half as much as I love you
And you'll never treat yourself right darlin' but I want you to
If I let you know I'm here for you
Maybe you'll love yourself like I love you, oh

12 : Little Things (edited)

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR PADFOOOOT! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

Sirius buried his head in his arms as he groaned out loud. "Shut up, you twat, everyone's looking." Well, everyone except Catherine. He didn't know where she was and he seemed disappointed.

"But that's the point!" James retorted as he pushed the cake in front of Sirius. "Eat up, Sirius, I made it with love." James grinned wickedly at the boy, nudging shoulders with Remus who smirked and rolled his eyes. Peter was beaming as well with a party hat on his head for support.

Sirius glanced up to see a chocolate cake. Or at least what he thought was a cake. It was badly baked, it looked like a lump of chocolate batter mashed together and popped in an oven. Merlin, why didn't James use magic? Sirius thought. Or better yet, why didn't he just purchase some from Honeydukes.

Sirius managed a smile that looked like a grimace to James. "Thanks, Prongs—"

"You're most welcome." He gallantly bowed.

"—it looks quite like you."

James had a baffled expression. "I am absolutely offended by that—"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SIRIIII!"

Sirius's head instantly snapped to where Catherine Valentine was running. She rushed over and slid next to him, her cheeks flushed from all the sprinting. He beamed at the girl who was grinning goofily at him. "Thanks." He wrapped an arm around her to give her a one-arm hug when he frowned. "Cat, you're freezing! Where the bloody hell have you been?" Before James could intervene, Sirius tucked his scarf around Catherine's neck, resisting the urge to grin smugly at her fake boyfriend. "Could you please stop leaving your scarf behind? You make me worry."

Catherine just rolled her eyes at him, giving Remus a look that said 'Can you believe this guy?' "Anyways, Siri, I've something for you." She shyly slid a box over to Sirius.

He eagerly reached over to open it but his hands were slapped away.

"No, not right now." Catherine ducked her head in an embarrassed manner. "You lot will laugh at it."

Sirius chuckled softly, shaking his head at her. "I'm not going to laugh, Cat. Don't be silly, I'm opening it." Before she could protest, he tugged on the ribbon and lifted the cover off the box. There inside lay the most beautiful cake he has ever seen. It was an ombré pink and had a glossy appearance. Sirius blinked in awe, "Why—Why doesn't it look like a cake? It's so...shiny."

Catherine chuckled. "Aunt Leah taught me how to bake last summer. It's called a mirror glazed cake. It's very delicious." She winked at Sirius who was staring at her with an unreadable expression. Her grin faltered as she turned to the side to avoid his intense gaze. "I know it's not much, but—"

Sirius's arms were around her, cutting off whatever she was about to say. He pulled her against him, burying his nose in her hair as he reveled in Catherine Valentine. He loved the smell of her hair—strawberries. "No one's ever done anything this nice to me," he mumbled to her. And he meant it. His pathetic excuse of a family despised him just because he was sorted into Gryffindor. That's why he's been living with James for a while now. James had been there for him every step of the way, of course including Remus and Peter, and now Catherine as well.