The Legacy of Salazar

The Best Birthday

Merlin woke up to find an ice cream sundae on his bedside table, Silas already down from his bunk and waiting for him to wake up. Khoshekh was still on Silas' bed, sleeping in the morning light. Florean had let them keep the kneazle, but he'd been a little exasperated that they hadn't asked him first. And then there was the matter of how they'd paid for it. They'd actually received a scolding for that one.

But Rita Skeeter hadn't published the interview yet. Merlin had a feeling she was holding it until the final trial in a few days.

"Happy Birthday!" Silas said, and he promptly handed Merlin a spoon. "Here's your breakfast."

Merlin laughed. "Sounds good to me." While they were eating, the door opened and Florean entered, grinning at the pair of them.

"I still expect you to eat breakfast, by the way," he said as they finished. "Your Hogwarts letter arrived too, Merlin, but we'll deal with that later. Your friends all said they'd be here by eleven, right?"

"Yeah, though Draco said he might be late." He put the spoon back in the empty dish and stretched.

"All right. It might be a good idea for you to take a shower and get ready now; it's already half-past nine."

"Yeah!" Silas added, grinning. "And take as much hot water as you want!"

Merlin had a feeling they wanted to decorate the room while he was gone. He mocked a look of suspicion and went to the washroom. He thought about taking an obscenely short shower and catching them in the act but decided he wanted to see the finished product. He took his time, washing his hair with more care than he normally did. He dried, dressed, and brushed his teeth before coming back into the bedroom—which had been completely changed.

The beds had vanished, replaced instead by several beanbags, a coffee table and some simple green and gold streamers. Silas was teasing Khoshekh with a balloon, laughing when the kneazle batted it with her paw. He looked up. "Do you like it?" he asked getting to his feet.

"It's perfect."

Hermione arrived several minutes early, her face flushed. "I forgot my watch! I'm not late, am I? I stopped on the way to get your present and—"

"Hermione relax!" Merlin said as he let her inside the flat. "You're the first one here."

"Oh! Good!"

"I can take that, kiddo," said Florean, nodding toward the parcel in Hermione's hand. "We'll open them all together." Hermione smiled and handed over the package and card, then followed Merlin back to the room where Silas was entertaining Khoshekh.

Hermione crooned softly when she saw the baby kneazle. "She's gorgeous!" she said, bending down. The cat glanced at her, tail flicking before letting Hermione pet her. "What did you name her?"

"Khoshekh!" Silas said proudly.

Hermione snorted but said that it was a very fine name indeed.

Draco arrived right on the dot, and Florean led him back to the room after taking a professionally wrapped present from him. He was excited about the kneazle too but didn't attempt to pet it.

"They don't tend to like my family much," he admitted. Merlin looked around, thinking that as everyone was here they should probably start playing some games.

"Hold on Merlin," said Florean coming back to the room. "There's someone else coming."

Merlin stared at him. "Who?" he asked blankly, looking from Draco to Hermione.

"What do you mean who?" said a voice behind Florean.

"You honestly think we'd miss your birthday?" came a second.

Two identical boys with flaming red hair entered the room, beaming at the lot of them. Fred and George Weasley had grown a few inches in the month and a half, and each supported a much darker array of freckles.

"How did you know?" Merlin asked, laughing. George flopped down into one of the beanbag chairs and looked at the kneazle with interest, while Fred took a seat on the floor, leaning back against Merlin's seat.

"I suggested them to Florean," said Draco, smirking now. "Thought they might liven up the party a bit."

"Recommended—"

"—By a Malfoy?"

Fred snorted and appraised the Slytherin for a long moment. "Not bad, not bad. You might just redeem yourself yet."

"Anyway, who's up for exploding snap?"

Merlin had worried that the kneazle might attack one of them, but the feline didn't even mind it when Draco accidentally nudged her with his elbow. After a few rounds of exploding snap and swapping Hogwarts stories, Florean came back with a round of pizza and an enormous ice cream tower—which they attacked ravenously.

Khoshekh included.

The twins lead a song of Happy Birthday, floundering their arms as though they were opera singers. The act nearly brought Hermione to tears from laughing so hard.

"Okay, presents!" Silas announced. Khoshekh was slung around his shoulders; muzzle and whiskers dirty with vanilla ice cream. Florean—who had joined for the birthday song—snapped his fingers.

"Yes, I'll be right back." And he dashed from the room, to return a minute later trailing several floating presents behind him. He banished the empty dishes to the kitchen and laid the presents in front of Merlin.

"Right. Which one should I open first?" Merlin asked looking up at them.

"Mine!" Silas said at once. Ignoring Draco's sniggering, he reached into the pile and withdrew a small present wrapped in bright blue paper.

"Is it wrapped a million times?" Merlin asked taking it, remembering the previous gifts from his foster brother.

"I wish. They wrapped it at the store for me."

It was a stripped green and silver winter hat with silver stitching. There was a tuft at the top and two strings attached to flaps designed to cover his ears.

"You know," Silas said fidgeting slightly. "To match your scarf."

Merlin grinned at him. "It's perfect." And he rammed it on his head, earning a roar of laughter from everyone. Fred coughed, trying to compose himself enough to say, "It suits you wonderfully."

From Draco, he received an eagle feather quill set, with a maintaining kit and a self-refilling spell. He thought Hermione had given him a book on effective studying tips—"Very funny, Hermione," until she'd told him to open it, revealing a secret compartment full of chocolate and filibuster fireworks. Even Draco had been impressed. The twins had given him an assorted bag of wizard candy as well as several dung bombs, a bottle of invisible ink, and a pair of socks enchanted with a warming spell and Merlin written in large golden letters.

"Who's this from?" asked Fred, picking up one of the presents left. He stared at the name on the card. "Snape?"

"Really?" Merlin snatched it from him and ripped open the card first.

See you back at term.

"He gave you the new potions book, huh?"

"Yup." Merlin had finished taking off the wrapping. "Still, least I'll use it."

Florean had given Merlin his very own brand of ice cream. He brought it out later after they'd started a match of gobbstones. It had a sweet refreshing taste, like icicles dusted in mint and sugar, and had a cool blue colour. He'd then topped it with thick chocolate syrup and roasted almonds.

"Breakfast, lunch, and dinner," he said, flashing Draco a smirk.

"Yeah, next birthday I'm coming here. Just saying."

As far as birthdays go, Merlin thought that this one might be the best he'd ever had.