Chapter 389 - Fifteen (1/2)

As it would turn out, Rowan quickly began to regret her charitable act of kindness. It wasn't even after dinner, when Severus exploded on her in the middle of the library. Needless to say, Madam Pince made short work of him and kicked him out. For the rest of the evening, the marauders all gaped at her especially James, who kept giving her weird looks of envy.

The school was aflame with rumors as Severus kept giving Rowan dark looks like she betrayed him for another. Not only was that image vastly unpleasant, but it was incestuous! Hopefully, the looks would die down in time, but at present, the looks and whispers continued. And if she thought Darcy Travers couldn't get any worse, she was deadly wrong. All she would say is that Darcy Travers was an inch away from getting his bullocks hexed off!

January 9th had come and gone as a rather tedious day, to say the least. Rowan and Severus turned fifteen with no great fanfare. They received the usual sweets from the friends and the hushed whispers of congratulations.

Rowan's new so called boyfriend was left unaware of the yearly event. She had no real interest in receiving anything from him. A shame really, she should at least get a free gift. And who doesn't like receiving gifts? But she didn't want to be involved any more than they already were.

Sitting in the astronomy tower near midnight, Rowan wore a warm cloak as she sat in the freezing tower. Her lips were a bit blue as great puffs of steam emerged from her mouth and nose. She'd had a rather long day and just wanted some peace and quiet for once.

A soft rustle causes her to warily turn around to only see a head and body gradually emerge. ”It's just me, Rowan!” James softly said as he trotted over and plopped down next to her.

”What are you doing up?” Rowan asked with an arched brow.

”The same can be asked of you?” James countered back with a grin.

”It's my birthday as you already know,” Rowan grunted. ”And it's been a rather shitty day to be perfectly honest.”

”I know,” James said as he reached into his mole pouch and pulled out a small cake. It was quickly becoming a tradition at this point.

Rowan chuckled remembering last year. ”Really, Prongs? At this rate, I think you're already halfway in love with me.”

”Not you!” James yelped only to turn red in embarrassment at having revealed his true feeling. Coughing he hastily says, ”Any who, make a wish! It's tradition!”

”I will if you answer just a single question of mine.”

”Fine, what?”

”It's Lily, isn't it?”

James turns bright red in an answer as Rowan hides her knowing grin. James quickly lights the candle with the tip of his wand as Rowan bends over and blows it. The wisp of smoke quickly blows away with the cold chill. Splitting the strawberry cake in half, James lets Rowan choose and as usual she leaves the biggest half for him taking the smaller half for herself. She didn't very much like strawberry cake, not that she hated strawberries to begin with as she loved a good old-fashioned strawberry pie or tart, it's just that she didn't like the taste of the strawberry cake.

Taking a bite of the perfectly moist strawberry cake, Rowan rather muffled says, ”So, I am going to guess that you found me thanks to that confounding map of yours?”

”Yup,” James muttered back as he took a big bite of his slice of cake. ”So, how did you end up with Boone?” He was just as intrigued by the situation as the rest of Rowan's friends including her twin brother, Severus. And he didn't mean to gossip for that was simply beneath, a Gryffindor! But curiosity wasn't and in fact, it was expected of them!

”If I tell you the truth, James, you can't tell anyone else including the rest of the marauders,” Rowan sternly said knowing full well that James would keep his mouth shut. James was many things but not a snitch was not one of them.

”Marauder's honor!” James cried out as he held his hand up in the air.

”Boone asked me to pretend to be his fake girlfriend,” Rowan replied before taking another bite of her cake. ”I'll dump him at the start of the next year so he can pretend to be heartbroken. And so that his parents won't pick a fiancé for him.”

”That surprisingly makes sense,” James admitted. ”Though how come you didn't tell Severus?”

Rowan flashes him a wolfish smile. ”I'm still angry about the tournament.”

”Fair enough,” James acknowledged with a shrug. Glancing away he coughs, ”So how did you know I like Lily?”