The Loneliest Birthday
1st November 1977
Three weeks had passed since their first lesson, and each lesson grew more boring after the other. She'd even debated getting bit by one of the blast-ended skrewts just to avoid them but Antonin had told her it was only an hour and it would fly by.
Fifty two minutes later she was eyeing the clock, itching to leave the library.
“You’ve been reading that page for the past ten minutes.” Remus spoke up.
Solana pulled her eyes away from the clock, sighing so loudly Madam Pince had to shush her, Remus rolled his eyes.
“How long do we have to keep this up, Lupin?” she asked boredly, she closed the book and slid it towards him.
“Until you get your grades up.” he pushed the book back at her.
“Our next exams aren’t until December.”
“December then.” he smiled.
She let out another sigh, looking back up at the clock.
“Moony! Oh, shit-” Sirius walked towards them, he gave an awkward nod towards his cousin. “Solana,”
She avoided his eyes, “Sirius.”
When they were younger Solana and Sirius were the best of friends, they did almost everything with one another, but on their first day of Hogwarts after Sirius had been sorted into Gryffindor Solana refused to speak to him.
She didn’t want to… but she knew her parents would not be happy with his sorting so she opted to do something before they told her too.
In the past seven years they had maybe said less than ten words to one another, and one of those was just now.
“Uhh–” Remus noticed the hostility between the two. “We can end this session early, just don’t tell–” he didn’t even have to finish his sentence before Solana shoved all the books into her bag and left without another word.
“How was your tutoring?” Antonin teased as she flopped down on the sofa, resting her head on his lap.
Solana sighed as he stroked her head. “Terrible. And exams are ages away.”
He leaned down kissing her forehead. “I think I know what will make you feel better,” he whispered.
“I’m tired Toni,” she muttered, closing her eyes.
“Come on, I’ve had a long day– a long week even,” he said, stroking her head, “I need something to make it better.”
“Another time,” she said.
“Come upstairs with me,” he whispered.
She could never resist him, “Okay,”
“I love you, Lana,” he kissed her temple, as he picked her up, carrying her up the stairs.
“Lestrange, Carrow, out.” he said, dropping her on the bed.
“Why can’t you two find somewhere else to fuck,” Rabastan rolled his eyes.
“Out, both of you, before I turn you into hippogriffs,” Antonin said.
The two grumbled as they left, Antonin locked the door behind them and climbed into bed with her, beginning to kiss her neck.
She loved Antonin, she really did.
But he was always so rough with her.
“Did you like that?” he asked out of breath, lying down next to her.
“Yes,” she lied.
He reached down into his bedside cabinet, grabbing a bottle of Firewhiskey, taking a swig before handing it to her.
She internally grimaced as she took a sip.
“So it’s my birthday tomorrow, I was thinking we should do something,”
“I’m busy tomorrow, got training,” Antonin said, taking the bottle from her.
“Oh,” she muttered, “All day?”
“Yup,” he said, boredly.
“Right,” she said, a burn in her throat but she refused to let him hear it in her voice. “I’ll probably hang out with Alecto anyway.”
“Mmm,” he said, “I was talking to Rabastan earlier, he said that Rodolpus and Bellatrix are getting on well with Voldemort,”
Solana nodded. “Yes, father is very proud of her,” she muttered.
“Can’t wait for us to join him,” he said, looking at her. “The Dolohov’s will be respected.”
Solana kissed his cheek, ignoring the pit growing in her stomach. “Yes we will,”
☀︎
2nd November 1977
Solana woke up to a large bunch of Peonies on the bedside cabinet, a note was next to the vase,
Happy Birthday,
My love.
A.D
She smiled softly, touching the petals delicately.
“Those look nice,” Alecto said, looking at them.
“Thanks, they’re from Toni, for my birthday,” she told her.
“Oh shit, your birthday!” Alecto said, face planting. “I completely forgot, I’m going out with Barty today,”
“Oh, that’s cool… I’m just gonna have a me day,” Solana said, “Gonna go up to Hogsmeade and get a few bits,”
“Are you sure? I can cancel,” Alecto asked.
“It’s fine,” Solana shrugged, she chewed her lip as she got ready for the day.
A paper crane flew in through the window landing on her shoulder, she smiled softly picking it up.
It was a little tradition that Narcissa would send one on her birthday, from when she was a child, she would always send them from Hogwarts but now she sent them from Malfoy Manor since she married Lucius Malfoy.
She put it next to the flowers. Her parents hadn’t sent a letter, not that she was expecting one from them, it was very rare that the Black family celebrated birthdays.
She pulled on her cloak sighing slightly, she hated her birthday.
She was always alone.
☀
“How was your birthday?” Antonin asked as she climbed into his bed.
“Fine, I went to Hogsmeade and got some cockroach clusters–”
“I never understand how you can eat them,” he grimaced.
“They’re the best,” she grinned at him.
“I got you a present.” he said, pulling out a small box.
“You didn’t have to get me anything, the flowers were enough,” she said.
“I can’t just give my future wife flowers for her birthday,” Antonin shook his head. “And speaking of you being my future wife, I haven’t officially gotten you a ring.”
She smiled at him excitedly. “You got me a ring?”
“I did indeed, my love,” he said, opening it up.
“Oh,” she gasped, furrowing her brows, it was a ring alright. The diamond was ten times as big as it should be. “It’s… massive.”
“People will know how much I love you, that diamond is very expensive.” he told her, taking it from the box. He took a hold of her hand and slipped it on her finger. “You look perfect.”
She held her hand up, looking at the ring.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes,” she lied.
Antonin grinned, “I knew you would,”
There was a tap on the window, a small grey owl perched itself on the handle waiting to come in.
“Expecting any more letters?” he asked, getting up to open the window. “It’s for you,”
Maybe her parents were sending a letter for her birthday. He handed it to her, but she stared at it, she could recognise that handwriting anywhere.
“Are you not going to open it?” he asked.
She cleared her throat. “It’s… It’s from Andromeda,”
“Your sister that married the mudblood?” Antonin raised his brows. “Why is she sending you a letter?”
“I don’t know… we haven’t spoken since she was kicked out–”
“She wasn’t kicked out, she chose that life… disgusting if you ask me,” Antonin pulled a face. “How can you be born into the greatest family, have all of these opportunities and you decide you love a mudblood,”
Solana chewed her lip, debating whether she was going to open it or not, but it seemed Antonin had made her mind up for her, he grabbed the letter and threw it into the open fire.
“Antonin!” she exclaimed, watching the envelope curl in the flames.
“You were going to read that? She’s a blood traitor, Solana. We don’t associate with those, do we?” he said, his voice turning cold.
She swallowed hard. “No,”
“Good,” he said, cupping her cheek and turning her head away from the fire. “You know I love you, and I want the best for you,”
“I know,” she said, quietly.
He kissed her lips, “Now, it’s your birthday, let me fuck you.” He pushed her back, beginning to suck on her neck.
“Toni,” she whispered, “Can we do something different?”
“Huh?” he asked, unbuttoning his shirt.
“Can you be gentle?”
“Gentle?” he scoffed. “What fun is that?”
“Please?”
He leant down in her ear, “I’ll fuck you how I like.”
And so he did.
☀︎
He snored loudly, keeping her awake, Solana sighed heavily, pulling his arm off her stomach. She pulled on her cloak, and left the boys dorm, and headed towards the sofa in front of the panel windows. She covered herself with the blanket, watching the fish swim around.
A throat cleared behind her.
“Happy Birthday,”
She turned around and saw Regulus holding a small cupcake with a candle in the buttercream, she smiled. “Thanks Reg,”
“It’s the best I could come up with, Sirius has told the house elves not to listen to me,” he said, handing it to her. “Don’t forget to make a wish,”
She closed her eyes.
I wish not to be alone on my birthday ever again.
She blew out the candles.
“What did you wish for?”
“I can’t tell you otherwise it won’t come true.”
“That’s an old witch's tale, what did you wish for?” Regulus asked.
“I wished that this cake was chocolate and not vanilla,”
Regulus rolled his eyes, “I had limited resources.”
She chucked, splitting the cupcake in half and handing one piece to him.
“Thank you, Reg.”
“You’ve already said that,”
“I know but, I mean it.”
They both bit into the cake then spat it out in unison.
“They used salt.” Regulus spluttered.
“Wow, Sirius really has those houselves wrapped around his finger, doesn’t he?” Solana shook her head, putting the cake down.
“Speaking of Sirius, guess who’s having a birthday party in the Gryffindor common room?”
“I wonder… is it Sirius?”
“Wanna gatecrash?”
“Definitely.”