Starman

March 10th 1972

Sirius woke with a jolt, a sharp nudge to his side. “Ow! What the hell?” he grumbled, rubbing his ribs and glaring at James, who was grinning mischievously.

“Shhh, come on! Pete and I are going to scare Remus. It’s his birthday, remember?” James whispered, his voice full of excitement.

Sirius’s scowl turned into a grin. “Right! Let’s go then,” he muttered, eager to join in the fun.

The three boys snuck quietly over to Remus’s bed, James holding a glass of water in his hand. As they reached Remus, James tipped the water over his sleeping friend's head.

Remus shot up with a yelp. “Ahhh! What the hell?!”

His bleary eyes locked onto James, and his expression immediately darkened. “James, you’d better run before I start hexing you!”

James didn’t need to be told twice. He bolted across the room, laughing nervously as Remus scrambled to catch him. Eventually, Remus caught hold of him, but Sirius stepped in just in time to stop him from making good on his threat.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough now,” Sirius said, trying—and failing—to hide his laughter. “Come on, Remus, it’s your birthday. Time to open your presents.”

“I have presents?” Remus asked, letting go of James absentmindedly. James quickly moved out of his reach, a playful grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Well, they’re not exactly Fabergé eggs,” James said, his grin faltering slightly as he glanced nervously at Remus, “but yeah, we’ve got you something. A boy only turns twelve once, right?”

Remus blinked, still processing the surprise water attack, but sat down on the floor, looking up at his friends with a smile.

Sirius handed him a soft, knitted jumper, Peter gave him a pack of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and a Chocolate Frog, and James handed him a brand-new bag, clearly a little nervous about the earlier incident.

Remus stared at the gifts for a moment, a lump forming in his throat. He’d never had friends who cared this much before. It felt... nice.

•••

The boys went about their usual Friday routine—classes, hanging out, and laughing together. In Charms, Remus sat in his usual spot next to Amalia. She gave him a warm smile as soon as she saw him.

“Happy birthday!” she said, her eyes sparkling.

“Thanks,” Remus smiled back, feeling a bit shy but pleased by her enthusiasm.

“I got you something,” Amalia said, her tone suddenly quieter as she rummaged in her bag.

“Really?” Remus asked, a little surprised.

He didn’t expect anything else today, but the idea of receiving something else made his chest fill with warmth.

“Yeah, of course,” she replied, her voice soft but sure. She pulled out a small, carefully wrapped package and handed it to him. “It’s not much, but I hope you like it.”

Remus carefully unwrapped the gift, revealing a small wooden frame. Inside was a beautiful drawing of himself, scars and all. He stared at it, astonished.

“Did you draw this?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. It was the first time he’d ever seen his scars like this, captured so delicately, so... beautifully.

Amalia nodded, her cheeks turning a little pink. “Yeah. I wasn’t sure what else to get you, but I thought... maybe this would be nice.”

Remus blinked, his heart suddenly full. He’d always hated his scars, felt like they made him different in ways he couldn’t change. But in Amalia’s drawing, they didn’t look like flaws. They looked... normal. They looked like him.

“Do you like it?” she asked, suddenly shy, her gaze dropping to her hands.

“Like it?” Remus repeated, his voice thick with emotion. “I love it. This is amazing, Amalia. I didn’t know you could draw, let alone this well.”

Amalia smiled, clearly pleased but still a little unsure. “I just drew them how I see them... as they are. I think they look nice.”

Remus stared at the drawing, feeling something he hadn’t expected. A lump formed in his throat, and for a moment, he struggled to speak. He’d never had anyone tell him his scars looked “nice.” It was the first time anyone had made him feel like he wasn’t broken, like he wasn’t something to be hidden.

“Thank you,” he said finally, his voice a little unsteady. “This... means more than you know.”

Amalia didn’t say anything more, but her smile was soft and understanding, and Remus was grateful—more grateful than he’d ever been before.

March 20th 1972

“Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! It’s your birthday!”

Amalia stirred, blinking sleepily as she heard her friends' voices surrounding her bed. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, still groggy but smiling at the sight of her three best friends beaming at her. The early morning light was just starting to creep through the curtains, and despite the early hour, the excitement in the room was palpable.

She smiled back, still a bit dazed. “What’s all this?” she mumbled, her voice hoarse from sleep.

“Happy birthday!” they all shouted in unison, their faces full of joy.

“Thank you!” Amalia replied, her heart swelling. She couldn’t help but giggle at their enthusiasm as the girls clambered onto her bed beside her.

Lily, always the thoughtful one, handed her a carefully wrapped gift. “Here you go,” she said, her eyes bright. “I hope you like it.”

Amalia’s hands trembled slightly with excitement as she ripped open the wrapping. Inside was a beautiful set of sketching pencils, the kind she had been eyeing for ages but hadn’t gotten around to buying for herself. The set looked perfect—everything she could ever want for her drawings.

“They’re perfect!” Amalia exclaimed, her smile widening as she pulled Lily into a tight hug. “Thank you, Lily! I’m going to use them all the time.”

Next, Marlene handed over a much more haphazardly wrapped gift, her grin mischievous. “This one’s mine,” she said, her tone teasing. “You’re definitely going to like it.”

Amalia laughed as she eagerly tore off the paper, revealing a large bag of all her favourite sweets, plus a Chocolate Frog box. Her eyes lit up as she recognised the familiar wrappers. Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, and a selection of other wizarding treats she adored.

“Thank you, Marlene!” Amalia said, her excitement bubbling over as she grabbed the bag. “This is perfect!” She immediately started offering sweets around to the others.

Mary was last, holding a small, carefully packaged gift. “And this one’s from me,” she said softly, her voice as sweet as ever. “I hope you like it.”

Amalia unwrapped the gift and found a bottle of dark red nail varnish and a set of three lip balms—flavoured strawberry, raspberry, and watermelon. She smiled at the present and immediately felt her love for her friends grow even more.

“Thanks, Mary! These are so cute,” Amalia said, feeling incredibly grateful. “I can’t wait to try them.”

After getting dressed for the day, the girls made their way down to breakfast, chatting excitedly about their plans for the day. As they entered the Great Hall, Amalia spotted her sister, Brandy, hurrying towards them with a grin on her face.

“Happy birthday, dimples!” Brandy called, handing her younger sister a present.

Amalia eagerly unwrapped it, revealing a beautifully knitted dark red jumper. The wool was soft and warm, and as she pulled it over her head, she felt an immediate sense of comfort.

“Well, if it wasn’t obvious before, I think it’s pretty clear that red’s my favourite colour now,” Amalia laughed, tugging the jumper down. “It’s so cosy. Thank you, Brandy!”

Brandy gave her a quick hug before heading back to the Ravenclaw table, where her friends were waiting. Amalia watched her sister go, feeling grateful for her sister.

Later that day, Amalia received a small package from her parents. It contained money, a toothbrush, some socks, and other practical essentials. Though it wasn’t exactly thrilling, she appreciated the thought behind it. Her parents always made sure she had everything she needed, even if it wasn’t the most exciting birthday present.

The Potters, as usual, had sent something special. This time, it was a beautiful new sketchbook, the pages crisp and waiting to be filled with Amalia’s drawings. She couldn’t wait to begin sketching in it as soon as possible with her new pencils.

The rest of the day passed by quickly, despite it being a Monday. Classes seemed to rush by in a blur, and before she knew it, the girls were back in the common room, settling in to relax. They played cards for hours, laughing and teasing one another in a way that only friends could. Marlene’s bag of sweets was nearly empty, but no one minded—it had been the perfect treat for their little celebration. The cards scattered across the table were evidence of their fun, with everyone taking turns winning and losing, always in good humour.

After a while, the boys joined them, filling the room with their laughter and stories.

Remus and Peter were deep in conversation about their latest classes, while James and Sirius sat on the floor, joking around and playing with Ruby.

Amalia looked around at her friends, her heart full of happiness. There was something comforting about the way they all could be together—no matter what was happening outside, they had each other.

As the evening wore on, Amalia’s tiredness began to catch up with her, and she eventually made her way up to her dormitory. Ruby curled up by her side as Amalia snuggled under her covers. The warmth of the day still lingered in her chest, and her thoughts swirled with the events of the day.

“Best birthday ever,” she whispered to herself with a contented smile as she closed her eyes, letting the peaceful feeling wash over her.

March 27th 1972

James woke up with a sudden coldness spreading over him. He jolted upright, a gasp escaping his lips, as icy water dripped down his neck and into his shirt.

"What the hell?!" he yelped, leaping out of bed, his hair sticking to his forehead.

"Sorry, mate, it’s payback," Remus said, laughing as he held up an empty glass, clearly enjoying the moment. His grin was wide, and his eyes sparkled with mischief.

James blinked, still a little stunned, but slowly started laughing too, shaking his head in disbelief. "You’re unbelievable," he said, a grin spreading across his face. He slapped Remus lightly on the shoulder, still chuckling.

The other boys—the Marauders as they called themselves—were sitting on their beds, all looking at James with knowing smirks. They had been waiting for this moment, and James had been expecting some sort of prank for weeks. It seemed Remus had finally gotten the drop on him.

"Alright, alright, no need to rub it in," James said, wiping his face with his sleeve. "But I’ll get you back, just you wait."

"Sure you will," Sirius said with a laugh.
"We’ll see who gets the last laugh.” He was lounging casually on his bed, already dressed and looking far too smug for James’s liking.

The boys all had their little traditions when it came to birthdays, and this year was no different. Pete handed James his usual gift—a big assortment of sweets, with Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans and Chocolate Frogs among them. "Thought you’d appreciate this," Pete said with a grin, tossing the bag to James, who eagerly grabbed it.

"Cheers, Pete!" James said, grinning as he rifled through the sweets, already planning which ones to try first.

Sirius handed James a carefully wrapped present, one that seemed far more thoughtful than expected. James tore open the paper, his eyes widening when he saw what was inside. It was an album—The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. A David Bowie album. James stared at it in awe, trying to take it in.

"Bloody hell, Sirius. This is brilliant," James said, still holding the album like it was the most precious thing in the world. "You know me so well."

Sirius simply shrugged, his trademark smirk on his face. "What can I say? You’ve got good taste in music."

Then Remus handed James a smaller, more delicate gift—just a simple pair of gloves. James raised an eyebrow as he held them up. "You got me gloves?" he asked, surprised but touched.

"They’re new," Remus said with a small smile. "You never did get your old ones back from Lily.”

James laughed, “Right, right. These are much better. Thanks, mate.” he said, slipping them on. "These will come in handy."

After getting dressed and sorting out their gifts, the boys made their way down to breakfast. The Great Hall was buzzing with excitement—students already talking about their plans for the upcoming Easter holidays. James, as always, couldn’t wait for some time away from the chaos of lessons.

Once they’d eaten, the Marauders headed outside. The weather was surprisingly warm for March, and the rare sun seemed to encourage everyone to head outside.

They made their way down to the lake, where they spotted the girls—Amalia, Lily, Marlene, and Mary—already sitting by the water, chatting and enjoying the sunshine.

"First day of Easter holidays!" James said dreamily as he lay back on the grass, his arms spread out wide to soak in the warmth of the sun. "Two whole weeks of no classes." He closed his eyes, breathing in the fresh air.

The rest of the group settled beside him, stretching out on the grass and basking in the rare sun. It felt like they had all earned this break. James could feel the excitement building for the things they could do over the break.

"I swear, I can’t wait for summer," James said, grinning as he sat up slightly. "My parents sent me tickets to a match of the Montrose Magpies in the summer, my favourite Quidditch team!" He said the last part with a little extra enthusiasm, knowing how much everyone liked to hear about his excitement. "I can’t wait. I’m definitely going to try out for the Gryffindor team next year."

"That’s brilliant, James!" Marlene said from where she was sitting beside Amalia. "You’ll probably make the team straight away." She said teasing slightly.

James beamed at the thought. "I want to be a Chaser. I reckon I’d be good at it. What do you think?"

Sirius chuckled, leaning back on his elbows. "You’d make a great Chaser, mate. Though I think you’d also get distracted by the pretty girls in the stands."

"Hey!" James protested, though he was clearly amused. "I’ll have you know, I’m all about winning the match. The girls can wait until after."

Everyone laughed at that, and for the next few hours, they all just hung out by the lake, talking about their plans for the break. They discussed everything from exploring the Forbidden Forest to possibly trying to sneak into Hogsmeade for a day trip.

"We could always sneak into Zonko’s for some pranks," Remus suggested with a sly grin.

"Great idea," Sirius said, rubbing his hands together. "A little bit of mischief never hurt anyone."

James rolled over onto his side to look at the others, feeling completely at ease. The sun warmed his face as he looked around at his friends—the Marauders and the girls—all gathered together in the fresh air. He couldn’t think of a better way to spend the first day of the holidays.

As they all continued to laugh and talk about what they would do next, James felt truly happy. No lessons, no worries, just a rare moment of peace and fun with his closest friends. The Easter holidays had only just begun, and already, it felt like the best time of the year.