Special Delivery
Author: Owl Post
Date: 01-10-02 00:45

Hermione was sitting, about to eat an orange, (peeled and sectioned of course!) when she was suddenly surprised by the delivery of a note with a wee package attached to it. As she ripped open the letter and began to read it she smiled and instinctively heard the voice that accompanied the note:

My Dearest Hermyownninny,

I vant to vish you a happy birzday. I hope you like present I have sending you. It vill remind you of trip to Germany this summer and time ve spent together. I very much looking forvard to seeing Hogsmeade again. Seeing you there vould be vonderful. Ve vill see each other again soon, my sveet.

Best vishes!

Viktor

Hermione sighed and mumbled, "How sweet!" and quickly opened the gift package. Inside was a charm bracelet with little charms, each one a representation of all various places she had visited in Germany that summer. She clutched it to her chest and gave a deep sigh before putting it on. She was so wrapped up in admiring the bracelet that she didn't even notice when Harry and Ron arrived.

Good Morning, Sunshine!
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 01-10-02 01:28

"Good morning, sunshine!" Bronwyn poked her best friend in the arm and pulled back the covers.

Kendra pulled the pillow over her head and whined, "Why are you always so cheery in the mornings?"

Bronwyn shrugged, "Just a morning person, I guess!" She skipped over to her nightstand and began collecting her books together while Kendra staggered out of bed. Today was Tuesday, which meant that the two girls would be taking Charms in the morning, and Potions and Muggle Studies in the afternoon.

As Kendra got ready for the day, Bronwyn flipped through her planner. Tuesday, the 19th, was circled in red. Today was Hermione Granger's birthday. She smiled, thumping her fingers against the page. As a first year, Bronwyn had met Hermione after a massive collision in the hallways. Books scattered everywhere, much to Hermione's dissatisfaction, but being the outgoing person she is, Bronwyn immediately made friends with the frizzy-haired Gryffindor, something she manages to accomplish with every person she meets, save a few Slytherins. Take that back. Save the whole Slytherin lot. Bronwyn shrugged and slammed the planner shut, stacking it on top of her copy of Animal Farm. She just couldn't understand how people could be so unfriendly. Making every effort possible to please those Slytherins had failed. Baskets of muffins, candies that were perfectly harmless (Fred and George begged her to swap her own with some of theirs), nothing seemed to work. Perhaps Bronwyn's only weakness was the inability to hate. Every time a Slytherin tried to anger her, she'd just return with a smile.

Kendra finally returned from the bathrooms, fully robed. "Ready for breakfast?" she asked, reaching for her own stack of books. Bronwyn smiled and nodded. Her best friend was probably the most organized person she has ever met. Kendra's ability to stay focused on her schoolwork has certainly kept Bronwyn in check.

"Wait. I have something for Hermione," Bronwyn said, reaching under her four-poster. She removed a large rectangular package from beneath her bed.

"Ok, let's go." Together, Bronwyn and Kendra exited the Hufflepuff Common Room and headed off to the Great Hall.

Briar's Bakery
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 01-12-02 01:12

Briar serves up first a slice of Hummingbird Cake and then a slice of still-hot-from-the-oven Cinnamon-Apple Coffee Cake with walnuts to two smiling customers. "Complimentary coffee and tea are located on the side table," she informs them before turning to take an order for two fruit tarts to be ready for pick-up Friday morning.

Briar's Bakery had opened bright and early Monday and since then Briar and the two assistants she's recently hired had been busy with a steady steam of customers. The actual grand opening is set for Saturday to coincide with the announced Hogsmeade weekend for Hogwarts. Even without the influx of students, though, the shop has had a better start than Briar had expected. The trick now would be to keep things going at an even keel. Too often a business opened to good results only to have interest peter out quickly. Briar is bound and determined her bakery will be around for a very long time.

As she'd done days before, Briar gives the shop an appraising glance. She likes what she sees though Briar would be the first to admit she is just a tad biased. The interior of the shop is in creamy yellow with midnight blue and hunter green accents. The new awning spanning the entrance outside is in stripes of the blue and green. The tables and chairs, inside and out, are a mixture of wicker and wrought iron in the same yellows, blues, and greens. For the outdoor tables, Briar had decided to go with individual umbrellas at the tables. These umbrellas are combinations of either the creamy yellow and midnight blue or the creamy yellow and hunter green. The counters and showcases are all gleaming glass and dark wood. The menus and orders forms are all in the same pale, creamy yellow of the decor. On the walls are tasteful (every pun intended) pictures of baked goods that can be found in the shop.

Everything looks crisp, new, and appealing. The fragrant smells permeating the shop and out into the street are inviting. Yes, things are looking quite good so far as Briar is concerned. And not one person has even hinted at recognizing her as the 11-year old child many of them once knew. Things seem to be going well indeed.

Breakfast: the Most Important Meal of the Day, You Know
Author: Kendra Beck
Date: 01-10-02 02:32

Bronwyn and Kendra entered the Great Hall for breakfast. They scanned the Gryffindor table and found Hermione with Ron and Harry eating breakfast and chatting about their day ahead of them.

The Hufflepuffs headed over.

"Hiya, Hermione!!" Bronwyn said, cheerfully.

"Happy Birthday!!" Kendra wished Hermione a happy birthday, too, quietly.

"Thanks, guys! Oooooh, a present, for me?" Hermione nearly squealed as she reached out for the gift.

Bronwyn nodded. "Of course it's for you! Who else would it be for!?!"

Kendra smiled as Hermione took the present. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"Man, this thing's heavy!"

"Well, c'mon! Open it, woman!" Bronwyn coached, grinning broadly.

Hermione ripped open the paper and beheld a big, fat wizarding almanac.

"WOW!" Hermione squealed as she carefully flipped through the pages. "This is the BEST present I've gotten all day!"

Bronwyn and Kendra grinned. "You're welcome!"

Kendra and Bronwyn turned and went to their own house table and sat down to have breakfast.

"Breakfast is the most improtant meal of the day, you know." Kendra said, as she spooned some scrambled eggs on Bronwyn's plate.

"Ken, I hate eggs. You know that!"

Kendra shook her head. "Hate them or not, they've got good vitamins and minerals in them. They're healthy for you."

Bronwyn rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Lost in Love
Author: Majandra
Date: 01-10-02 03:16

The afternoon of the second day of classes had found Majandra wondering what in H E Double Hocky Sticks she'd been doing hanging all over that overgrown Ravenclaw. Knitting and crocheting for him. Talking baby talk to him. Trying to convince McGonagall to let her switch to his house. She'd also spent the better part of that afternoon shuddering at the mere thought of him, wincing and blushing each time someone mentioned him, and trying to avoid having him see her. The next morning at breakfast Majandra couldn't avoid speaking to Lostark. Majandra had repeated nearly word for word Lavender's explanation of things. He'd managed to look both sad at the thought of losing a girlfriend and relieved to be ditched.

By the time midmorning Wednesday rolled around, Majandra was no longer occupied with the thoughts her foolish behavior around Chris Lostark. This was possible because Majandra at last had found the meaning of true love. It didn't matter to her that he was older or even that he was a Hogwarts professor. Just hearing the name Severus Snape was enough to make Majandra feel weak in the knees.

When Lavender and Parvati had learned of Majandra's affection for the Potions masters, they had reacted even worse than when she'd had the crush on the Ravenclaw boy. Majandra had just smiled sweetly and waxed poetically about how Snape's yellow teeth went so well with his dark, brooding features.

Thursday had found Majandra making kissy faces to Snape during Potions class and then afterwards in Snape's office carefully arranging the lacey, yellow (to match his teeth) doilies she'd made. For some reason he just wasn't that appreciative of them. Perhaps because she'd used the Alohamora spell to open his locked door? Majandra had just smiled sweetly when he loudly roared at her about taking points from Gryffindor for breaking and entering. She'd pointed out how nice his office looked with a bit of color and then showed him genuine hurt feelings that he was so unappreciative of a sincere attempt to give a gift with heartfelt love. This had caused the professor to actually blush slightly and by way of thanks for the gift he gave a few points back to Gryffindor. It didn't matter to Majandra that he then lectured her for twenty minutes nor that he gave her detention because the detention turned out to be working alone in his glorious presence for three whole hours! Majandra had fairly floated to bed after serving detention that Friday.

The weekend had seen Majandra knitting her much Beloved Snape a green (goes so well with yellow) winter scarf with cute little black bats. She'd presented it, wrapped in heart covered paper, to him Monday morning. Because she'd had to run off right away to get to Transfiguration on time she'd not seen how apoplectic the professor had looked when he realized written in all the hearts was either Mrs. Severus Snape or Mrs. Majandra Snape. He'd decided that he'd have to hold Miss Fine after Potions the next day and get her to see reason about her inappropriate behavior.

Snape needn't have worried. Majandra approached him before class that Tuesday and apologized for acting as she had. She'd mumbled something about being on the rebound before hurrying in to take a seat at the very back of class. Snape was relieved that the problem had resolved itself because he'd never had a student with a crush on him and it had been a tad disconcerting to the man.

The next day at lunch, Majandra had spent the time cooing over Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat. After Care of Magical Creatures that afternoon, Majandra could be found in Filch's quarters measuring his windows for curtains. By Friday, she's made frilly, pink (for that womanly touch) curtains for her wonderful, misunderstood Argus and Mrs Norris could be seen sporting a lovely, pale orange kitty sweater with sweet, little white mice all over it.

The nicer and more lovey dovey Majandra had been to him, the more her Filchy wilchy scowled and growled at her. That didn't put Majandra off though. She knew that under that gruff, grizzled exterior was a big, soft teddy bear. When she'd relayed this information to Lavender and Parvati, Majandra couldn't understand why they and the others within hearing range were reduced to giggling fits. Majandra had felt so sorry for them all that they hadn't found their perfect mates yet and told them so. This had simply caused more hearty laughter to the point that some were doubled over with tears running down their faces. Majandra had walked away, shaking her head at those poor, clueless souls.

Tuesday morning has rolled around again. Majandra sits at the Gryffindor table, head face down beside her ignored breakfast. She's resisting the urge to beat her head on the table and is again wondering what in the hell has gotten into her. Majandra's starting to doubt Lavender's rebound explanation. Majandra sits up and eyes the stone walls of the Hall. "Hmmmmm," she mutters to herself, "if I hit my head hard enough maybe I could induce a coma and spend the rest of the school year unconscious in the hospital wing. Yep. Sounds like a good plan but first I have to give Hermione this present for her birthday. Somehow I think she's going to be glad I didn't knit or crochet her anything."

Birthday
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 01-10-02 19:32

The golden charm bracelet twinkled on her wrist as Hermione reached for another waffle. Ron looked positively crushed as he watched her smile and sigh every time she'd take one of the little charms between her fingers.

"Look, Ron. This is Neuschwanstein castle. It's the most beautifiul castle in the world!" She gushed and sighed again, remembering her climb to the castle and how Viktor tripped and almost pulled her down the hill with him.

"Yeah, yeah. It's nice," Ron scowled, highly considering whether or not he should give her his present or not. The one he worked so hard on. The one he hoped she would treasure the most, afterall, it was a labour of friendship and...

"Ron, what's the matter?" Hermione asked, interrupting his thoughts.

Ron shrugged, unable to come up with words. At that moment, Bronwyn Dewhurst and Kendra Beck arrived. A huge package was resting under Bronwyn's arm.

"For me?" she asked, her eyes growing big.

Bronwyn laughed, "Of course!"

Ripping open the neatly wrapped package, Hermione found a complete wizarding almanac entitled, The Concise Guide to the Wizarding World We Live In.

Squealing, Hermione exclaimed, "The is the best present I've gotten all day!"

It was true, anyway. Viktor's gift was thoughtful and surely she'd treasure it always as a reminder of her summer in Germany with him, but Bronwyn's almanac had practical value. A girl could never have enough books, according to Hermione.

Bronwyn smiled big and wished Hermione a grrreat day, with Kendra shyly mumbling the same, before the two of them headed off to their own table.

"This day just keeps getting better and better!"

Harry smiled, certain that she would be pleased with his gift. On the other hand, Ron grew worried. Would she like it? She did like Viktor's gift...it was thoughtful. Ron's gift is thoughtful, but not practical...Hermione prefers practical things...Ron sighed, deciding that he would give her the gift, he was just waiting for the right time and place.

Er...Um...Uh...See Ya!
Author: Neo Anderson
Date: 01-10-02 22:24

Neo walked to the Gryffindor table holding a package behind his back.

He walked to the bushy-haired girl who was sitting by Harry Potter and the redhead. "Ahem! Uh, excuse me?" said Neo. The girl turned around and Neo noticed a big book on the table and a bracelet on her arm.

"Yes?" she said, looking puzzled. Neo cleared his throat and smiled. "Hello!...er...I heard it was your birthday and...uh." Neo's eye began to twich slightly. The girl stared. "And...what?" she asked.

Neo began to sweat a little. 'Why is it that I can never speak to a girl my age?!' he thought to himself. He stepped forwards. "I... I h-have s-s-something f-for y-y-you!" stuttered Neo. He handed her the present and ran out of the Great Hall, bumping into Snape. "Uh...Sorry! Sir!" Neo managed to say... Snape stared... then Neo ran passed him towards the stairs.

"I hope she likes the chocolate cake I made for her," panted Neo.

A Present
Author: Majandra
Date: 01-11-02 01:17

With her head once more facedown on the table, Majandra heard rather than saw Hermione and the others take seats a few chairs down from her. Not long after she'd heard an unfamiliar voice stuttering to Hermione about a gift, Majandra pushed herself up, eyed the stone walls again, then placed the brightly wrapped present in front of Hermione.

"Happy Birthday!"

Majandra sees the look that flashes across Hermione's face and before Hermione can say thank you, Majandra gives her friend words of assurance.

"Don't worry. I didn't make it and there's not a cute puppy or fuzzy bunny in sight on it."

With that, her face suddenly burning red, Majandra rushes off muttering something about stone walls and comas. Very briefly she does wonder if Hermione will like the bookends made of oak and handcarved with Hermione's initials. But only very briefly as she stops in front of one stretch of stone wall and starts wondering how bad could it hurt to give oneself a concussion.

A Gift of Friendship
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 01-11-02 01:50

Hermione carefully unwrapped the package Neo nervously thrust at her before he ran out of the Great Hall. Ron watched her, his shoulders sagging, as he grew more and more nervous to deliver his own package to her. Every new gift she received seemed to be better than the last. Hopefully, this would hold true for Ron's gift.

"Chocolate cake!" Hermione grinned, and looked towards the door, but Neo was no where in sight. "How sweet of him!"

Ron groaned softly. Harry grinned, trying to take a piece of cake.

"After you finish your breakfast!" Hermione scolded, shamefully licking some icing off her finger.

"I've got a present for you too, Hermione," Harry said, sliding a small rectangular package across the table.

Hermione laughed and took it, "I wonder what this is? Another book perhaps?"

"However did you know?" Harry grinned.

She unwrapped it to find another wizarding book, a perfect addition to her collection. "Oh thank you Viktor!" she exclaimed, startling both Harry and Ron. "Oh, erm..I meant Harry, of course." She blushed, her eyes darting to the golden bracelet on her arm.

Clearing her throat, she continued, "It's a perfect gift, Harry. It really is."

Ron was positively fuming.

Harry laughed, "You're velcome, Hermyowninny!"

"Shut up!" Hermione said, laughing.

In the meantime, Majandra came over with a present in her hands. She hastily left it for Hermione to unwrap, before running off again.

"Everyone is in a hurry to leave after giving me my presents," Hermione began while unwrapping the bookends. "Do they all really think I won't like whatever they get me?"

This gave Ron some confidence, but deep down he truly felt that his simple gift paled in comparison to everyone elses', especially Viktor's.

"These are perfect. They'll go wonderfully with my new books!" She set the H bookend next to the G bookend and smiled. "Just perfect!"

Finally, Ron felt that now was as good a time as ever to give his gift. Sink or swim...what was it going to be? There was only one way to find out.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"I have something for you." Ron picked up the present that lay on the neighboring chair and carefully pushed the bookends out of the way before placing the gift on the table in front of her. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will, Ron," Hermione smiled big at him, before directing her attention to the gift. She slowly unwrapped it, almost too slowly for Ron's taste. Finally, what looked like a homemade photo album was revealed. She slowly flipped the cover open and gasped.

"What is it, Hermione?" Harry asked, leaning over the table.

Ron gulped.

On the front page was a picture of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, smiling and waving at the camera as they stood on platform 9 3/4 after their first term. She quickly flipped to the next few pages, each one displaying more and more pictures of the three of them, sometimes just two of them, and even just one of them, smiling, waving, being happy...

Hermione looked up at Ron, who looked as if he would pass out at any moment. "Thank you, Ron. This is...this is the best gift I've gotten, and I have no doubt in my mind that no other I may get can surpass it."

Ron gulped.

Hermione grinned and threw her arms around her friend.