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"Happy Birthday!"
Sirius woke up, startled, and almost fell out of his bed. His eyes flew open by the surprise of being awoken by a shout and a weight onto him. He realized James had threw himself on him, and now stood on his arms and knees over him, smiling widely with eyes sparkling of anticipation. It took a while for him to completely understand what was going on, but then Sirius looked around and saw that except for James, also Remus and Peter was there, smiling widely. Except that they stood on the floor, not onto him.
"Happy birthday, Siri!" James cheered before rolling of him and standing down on the floor again. Sirius felt confused over what the big fuss was over, but smiled nonetheless and sat up.
"Good morning, mates." He yawned. "What were you doing in my bed, Jamie?"
"Celebrating you, of course. You're 12 now! How does it feel?" James answered without missing a beat. He took up a colourful box from the floor and held it out to him. Remus and Peter grinned and came and showed him a box each too.

The three of them almost jumped by excitement when Sirius took the one James gave him.
"Open it, then!" James ordered and Sirius shrugged and did so.
He carefully wrapped the present open and then grinned widely when he saw what was in it.
It was a book about Sirius' (and James') favourite Quidditch-team: Caerphilly Catapults.
"Thank you!" he exclaimed and hugged James. James had finally succeeded to accustom Sirius to body contact with him and the other Marauders, and now he had become quite needy of it, actually. He took every chance to a hug or to cuddle up close to them by the fire, after eleven years of only having body contact now and then with his little brother. "But what is it for?"
The other three boys stared at him with confusion, before James snorted.
"You're joking, right?" he asked but when Sirius shook his head he frowned. "It's for your birthday, stupid. Haven't you gotten birthday presents before?"
Sirius smiled slightly.
"Of course I have. During a big ceremony at dinner with the whole family there, and they competes about who's giving the most expensive gifts. I'm the heir, you know. They all wants to give me expensive things now, so I won't forget them when I get my heritage and becomes Head of the family. But I can't actually remember when I got something I actually liked the last time, at least not since Regulus was deemed too old to give me drawings. You'll see, they'll be here soon – if I'm not unworthy their efforts now when I'm a Gryffindor."

James, Remus and Peter exchanged uncomfortable gazes, and silently vowed to give Sirius his best birthday ever. Then Peter jumped forward and gave Sirius his gift, to take away the un-comfortable silence.
"Open mine now!" he ordered happily and Sirius did so gladly. Also Peter got a hug when he opened the present. Inside Sirius found a package of Zonko's Best. And then Remus got a hug when Sirius found a package of homemade sweets in his gift. According to Remus he had written to his parents and they had sent Hope's cupcakes and Lyall's caramel to Remus to give Sirius.

After opening gifts – which Sirius assured was the best gifts ever – they dressed in their school robes and Sirius styled his hair before leaving to the Great hall and breakfast.

The great hall looked at usual, and the students that were already there was talking, discussing homework and did whatever 11-17 years old did at breakfast. Everyone who saw them quieted a little when they saw the Marauders, though. All of them grinned and smiled but they wasn't nearly as loud as they usually was, which freaked people out a little. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had already learnt that when James Potter, Sirius Black III, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew looked so happy but wasn't loud, it couldn't mean anything good. Luckily they – especially James and Sirius – didn't have their trade-marked identical smirks – when James and Sirius smirked those smirks even the 7th years mostly wanted to hide somewhere.

The four of them took their usual places as long away from the teachers they could come and in the same time as Sirius sat down, a big chocolate-vanilla-strawberry-cake appeared on the table with twelve burning candles upon. Sirius grinned. He had never had cake for breakfast before, and he had never had candles. Remus sensed this and explained that if he succeeded to blow out all the candles on the same time he could wish something – but he couldn't tell anyone what he wished.
"But!" James said with a grin. "Before you blow out the candles we must sing!"
He climbed up on the table and cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention. Everyone was so used to James and Sirius on the table by now so it took a while, but when he had gotten the Great Hall's attention he grinned. He saw many of the teachers watch him suspiciously and winked at them.
"Hear up, all and everyone!" He said loudly, making sure everyone could hear. "Today is a very special day, that is to say our best friend, Sirius Orion Black III's 12th birthday!" Sirius grinned. He was already having his best birthday ever. Most people would be embarrassed over being called out like that, but neither Sirius nor James seemed to have any shame in their bodies. "And therefore we will sing for him! Get up, everyone, and sing for Sirius!" James continued.

Remus and Peter also climbed up on the table after telling Sirius to stay sitting. They began to sing Happy Birthday to you loudly and after a few moments some students joined in. After another moment Dumbledore suddenly stood up and began to sing with twinkling eyes and suddenly the whole great hall except the Slytherin-table was standing and singing for Sirius, even Professor McGonagall. James, Remus, Peter and the Prewett-twins – Gideon and Fabian, Hogwarts' other pair of top pranksters – was the ones who sang the loudest.

"Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday dear Sirius.
Happy Birthday to you.

From good friends and true.
From old friends and new
May good luck go with you.
And happiness too.

Happy Birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday dear Sirius.
Happy Birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuu."

The Marauders dragged out on the last tone, and Gideon and Fabian was quick to catch up on it, so the five of them kept singing long after everyone else had stopped.

Then they jumped down from the table and sat down next to Sirius again.
"Blow out the candles now!" Remus said happily and Sirius did as he was told. He blew out all the candles on the same time and received an applause from everyone who saw. Sirius wished something and then James handed him the cake knife so he could take the first piece of the cake.

Peter had been down at the kitchens before they woke Sirius up this morning and ordered the cake. They had all been up extremely early since Sirius was an early-riser. When they was full and just should go the owls arrived.
"Ah. The post." A Hufflepuff stated happily. Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Now let's see if they still wants to ingratiate me."
It seemed like 'they' wanted, since at least ten owls made their way to Sirius and dropped of packages and letters. Sirius smirked when they was showered in them and then he cast the levitation spell on them to be able to carry them up to the dorm.

Up in the dorm Sirius just opened them and threw everything in a pile without even reading the cards ("What would it matter? They have written on the cards what they gave me anyway.") and his friends saw what he meant earlier about his gifts. He got four new dress robes, a box made of silver with onyxes, a book about curses (to James' big consternation) and a quite gigantic pile of galleons ("That must be at least a hundred!" Remus exclaimed shocked. He hadn't seen so much money his whole life. "Two hundred and sixty four." Sirius corrected. He got 22 more galleons each birthday [22x12=264]. Regulus got 18 more galleons each birthday – the privileges of the heir even if Regulus was the favourite child).

From Regulus Sirius got the only present he was happy over from his family. A letter and a stuffed hippogriff. Regulus explained in his letter that he had succeeded to send it secretly since their parents had forbidden their sons to have toys the day they turned six.

When the presents was opened they hurried down to their lesson and got in there one minute before the lesson would begin – Charms with Hufflepuff. Sirius got a Happy Birthday from each Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and couldn't stop grinning the whole lesson.

When the lessons ended for lunch they left to the great hall. When they stood outside they was reached by angry shouts and James grinned widely. As they walked in the four boys began to laugh hysterically: every Slytherin was covered in green boils and had red and golden hair.
"MARAUDERS!" McGonagall roared and marched over to them.
"Ah, I love our name." Sirius sighed happily meanwhile watching her coming against them. Most people – all sane people – would be deathly afraid if McGonagall glared at them like that, but even if Remus and Peter was a little worried, James and Sirius just smiled pleasantly. When she reached them, both of them swept down in an elegant bow.
"Ah, Professor Minne." Sirius said and earned some gasps. The other students was astounded that he ever dared to call her that, and now when she was so angry… "What can we do for you, beautiful lady?"
Some of the students giggled when they heard him, but McGonagall didn't look appeased.
"Detention!" she ordered. "Five o' clock, my office, tonight."
James looked innocent and faked a hurt face.
"On what grounds? We didn't do this, and even if we did, you can't prove anything."

McGonagall looked very frustrated, but she knew he was right. The rules forbade her to punish them without proof or they admitting it was them, and she knew that wouldn't happen. So she had no other choice than letting them go and sit down at their usual places.
"Happy Birthday, again, Siri." James whispered to his friend who grinned widely.
"Thank you, Jamie. Almost the best present today." Sirius answered.

They had asked the house elves for hamburgers which they got, and to their dismay (but not surprise), Sirius had never eaten that before. But he really loved it and ate two.
During lunch he got another few gifts from friends and classmates and afterwards on their way to next class Sirius' favourite cousin Andromeda (7th year) succeeded to give Sirius her gift without any Slytherins seeing her and he also got a Happy birthday from Andromeda's (secret) boyfriend, Hufflepuff muggleborn Ted Tonks. From her he got a Broom Servicing Kit.

After lessons had ended for the day they headed back to the common room.
"Rubinus corde" Peter told the Fat Lady who let them in. They stepped in, Sirius first, and the first thing that met their eyes was that the whole room was decorated in red and golden balloons and streamers, and a big banderol was in the middle of the room with the words HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY SIRIUS. Sirius stared and suddenly the empty room was filled by students who jumped out and screamed:
"SURPRISE!"
This was the Marauders' first all-Gryffindor-party, where they in some way succeeded to get practically everyone to party, but there would come more. Even if the older Gryffindors left after the first hour.
Sirius stared at it with extreme surprise.

James came forward and threw his arm over Sirius' shoulders.
"We got Gid and Fab to decorate it and gather everybody. Now, time to party!"
He dragged Sirius downstairs and Maya, a 4th year, began to play the music.
Sirius had incredibly fun. He had never had, or been on, a party before. Balls – yes, more than he could count, but never a party.

Later that evening pizza and another cake appeared in the common room and everyone ate and laughed. You could say that everyone else was confused when practically none of the younger Gryffindors came to the great hall for supper that evening, but Lily explained for the professors that they were having a party.

When the Marauders walked up to their dorm when their lights-out came, they were tired but incredibly happy when they sat on James' bed talking about the day that had been.
"Best. Birthday. Ever." Sirius exclaimed with shining eyes and the biggest smile on his face and his friends couldn't help but feel a bit smug over it when they exchanged gazes, like they was saying Mission Complete.

That night they all fell asleep with smiles on their faces, and unusually, neither Sirius nor Remus had any nightmares at all, not even those they couldn't remember.

Review!

Sirius' birthday year 1 was sadly enough the day after a full moon, so it is quite likely that Remus wasn't there, but I decided to ignore it and write it as Remus could be there anyway. I hopes that's acceptable.

Also, I think I'm starting to be a bit "blunted" in my writing. I'm beginning to not getting interesting things to write about, and then the fics I writes isn't that good either. So I must apologize for that, and hope it will get back. And hey, if I've forgotten any canon things that happened to the Marauders (except "Snivellus meets Moony"), tell me, please. By now I have: the Sorting, Finding out that Remus is a werewolf, becoming Animagi, Sirius getting disowned/moving in with the Potters and they finding out that Regulus has taken the Dark Mark. So if I've forgotten something, tell me please.