[M.Bird] Anniversary Celebrations (Girty)

[Alex Doyle]

A year. Still he couldn’t believe it had already been a year. It still felt like yesterday to Alex and he was sure if he looked on a calendar it would be. Either that or he was dreaming, but, just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, he did check the calendar, only to find the date stating himself and Girty had been together a year. The year had passed in such a daze, Alex couldn’t even begin to think most of it. Steph had left halfway through the year, something about not liking Alex and Girty being together, which he figured was fine and all, but he couldn’t help feeling he was the one to blame for it. A few weeks later he received a letter saying they had moved, but no forwarding address, so it looked as though Steph was completely gone from his life. Which meant now he could finally concentrate on Girty, without having to worry if Steph would get in the way, and knowing what tonight was, if she was still here, he had no doubt in his mind she would have tried to gatecrash, but now, he was worry free as he tried to flatten a rather persistent piece of hair.

Alex had spent most of the week planning this, trying to get it as perfect as possible. Dia had helped him a lot, knowing with her being a major part in the family, and also a girl, she would be extremely helpful, whereas Dan would more than likely tell him to get her drunk. Dia had suggested the Magic Bird to him, and so that’s where he was taking her, she had also help Alex come up with the perfect thing, Honestly, Alex wasn’t very good at this since he had never done it before and he had needed help, considering what he had first planned would have made him fall flat on his backside. So, with a lot of help, a lot of effort (which he knows is worth it) Alex finally came up with the one thing he thought was perfect.

First, he had sent her a note with a petal from a yellow rose in it earlier in the week, telling her to meet him at their rock on this day at seven o’clock. So, here he was, sitting on the rock and rubbing his hands nervously on his jeans. He was early, very early, it was only twenty past five, and sitting here for a further forty minutes he was sure he would end up a total wreck. He had tried to look his best, wearing a simple, yet stylish shirt. One of the ones Girty loved him wearing, but he rarely wore since it was one of his best and a pair of slightly baggy jeans. Now he thought on it, he looked more like he was going clubbing then going to a restaurant. Still, it was now nearing half past so it was too late to change.

He got up, and began pacing in front of the rock. Now he thought about it, he didn’t even know if she liked the idea of celebrating anniversaries, did he do the right thing? Or would she hate the idea? This of course, wasn’t calming Alex down very much, by now, with them being together for a year you would have thought he didn’t get nervous around her anymore, but his stomach still did flips and he still felt like there was a party of butterflies in his gut. “Calm down, for crying out loud Alexander Doyle you’re going to give yourself a premature heart attack!” Taking a couple of deep breaths, he calmed down and felt a little more at ease. Well, until he saw the brown hair coming up the hill, and then her face. Once more the party began and Alex felt as though he could actually just fall over on the spot. Maybe it was the added worry of this whole thing? Maybe it was the fact he actually had no idea what he was doing. Sitting back on the rock, he slid his hands behind his back and grasped at the mix of purple iris’ and yellow tulip flowers before standing back up and walking over to her placing a light kiss on her forehead before standing back and pulling the flowers from behind his back. “Happy Anniversary love.”

[Girty Hubbles]

A note with a yellow rose petal. Girty just stared at this note as it sat on her desk she was holding the petal in her hands letting the sweet scent fill the air around her. When it had first arrived and she read the note Girty let out a loud groan wondering what Slytherin was trying to pull her leg this time, but when she read over it she could tell it was Alex’s hand writing and no one else knew about their rock other then them. So Girty’s second thought was how cheesy this sentiment was, she would have been happy with a box of chocolates and a the chance of spending some time with Alex…but as she sat in her office, her mind concentrating on Alex more then the exam papers she had front of her, did the ex-Hufflepuff realise how sweet the goofball of a boyfriend of hers was.

It would be a lie to say that Girty had been counting down the days till their one year anniversary. It really had just sprung out at them, it was one of those moments when she was sitting there trying to think what was happening this time last year when it hit her. So in typical Girty and Hubbles fashion she had nothing organised and even on the day she was meant to be meeting up with Alex she was running late.

Alex had given no hint at what on earth they were going to be doing, so she did not have the foggiest how the hell she was meant to dress like! As she stared into the dark depths of her wardrobe her realms of confusion just grew even more, she has never done anything like this before, her sister-in-law was needed. A rather rushed and panicky conversation followed with the advice from Dia being to go smart casual, but the thing that bugged Girty the most was Dia seemed to have a look in her eyes that made Girty unsure if she should be reassured or not.

But no matter, Girty took the advice of her sister-in-law and was making her way down to Hogsmeade in jeans and a rather tight fitting white t-shirt, (even Girty knew that sometimes you had to flaunt your curves and when better then on your anniversary) she had even brought out her new pair of yellow Converse for the occasion, and for Girty that was dedication. So as her new shoes crunched the gravel path beneath her feet its sounds was one of the only things that kept her nerves from taking over, she did not know why but for some reason she felt more nervous about this then every Quidditch game put together…she was almost walking into the unknown.

Vaulting over the fence Girty started to make the long climb up to the top of their hill and today the walk seemed even longer. Slowly Alex came into view and it was hard for Girty not to smile, he was wearing her favourite shirt, she moved close to him, he stood up, kissed her on the forehead and then pulled a bunch of flowers from behind her back. The smile grew wider on her face, although Girty was finding it hard to bite back a laugh.

“What no white bunny rabbit out of the hat?”

She had to say it, Jac always told Girty never to hold back when you got these urges and for once Girty was taking the advice of the Gryffindor friend. She had not meant this in any offensive way, it just seemed so much like a muggle magic show, now if Alex had that planned it would be amusing. Taking hold of the flowers she gave them a fleeting glance before turning to the more handsome thing in front of her.

“Honestly Alex they are beautiful. Thank you…I…thank you”

She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed Alex, it was so nice to be with him again and as the stars shone above them Girty could not help but smile. She was going to tell him that she had not gotten him anything but she could not help but feel that I would ruin the moment ever so slightly. She could have stood there, arms wrapped around Alex all night long but she could not help but feel that is not what he had planned.

“So…I am guessing you did not bring me out to this rock to just give me a bunch of flowers.”

[Alex Doyle]

It had taken Alex most of the morning to decide what to wear, he hadnt told Girty about what they were doing or where they were going so he couldnt overdress too much in case she came wearing jeans, flip flops and a band name t-shirt. Which of course, he wouldnt put past her, she preferred to dress casual rather than dressy anyway, and he knew that. Alex was rubbing his stomach to try to stop the sickly feel in his stomach rising up. It was the strangest thing, one year and he still got nervous around her. Every day felt like it was the first day she found out how he felt all over again. His eyes scanned the grass, rather than look at the fence which was where he knew she would be coming from.

Once Alex had gotten rid of the sick feeling and started to smile, he looked back to the area he knew Girty would be coming and once he saw her brown hair, he felt a little queasy all over again. Taking a big gulp, as though trying to gulp back down his confidence as the closer she got the more he began to feel as though this was a terrible idea and wanted to run in the opposite direction. Looking in the opposite direction, strangley the sun was shining that way which made him furrow his brow. Though, he wanted to run that way, he found his feet walking towards her and handing the flowes from behind his back. However when she spoke, he flushed and looked away from her.

"I knew this was a bad idea."

Trust her, the one time she took Jac's advice was the one time he was hoping she wouldnt. Karma, it bites you in the back if you let it. How could it be like a magic show when he had picked them up and had them hidden behind his back. His eyes scanned the grass next to her feet, though when she spoke once more it lifted his spirits and he looked at her with a grin on his face. Sliding his hand in hers he smiled at her, it felt like an age since they had been here together, too long for his liking.

"Yeah.. your uh" He rubbed his neck with his free hand before saying, "Your welcome"

He smiled when she kissed him, and kissed her back almost greedily, he had almost forgot they had reservations too. Once he remembered he broke off the kiss and hugged her, smiling as she spoke again he simply raised his eyebrows in an 'you dont know, i might have done' kind of way. Though shaking his head, he took her hand and began to walk back down the hill and into Hogsmeade.

"No, I didnt."

He stayed silent as they walked. He didnt want to give anything away, smiling to himself as he saw the Bird come into view, giving her hand a little squeeze as they stood outside it for a minute. The night air was cool and refreshing to him.

"Well... We're here." Alex sighed as he looked to Girty, "I tried to do this right." He said with a smile, "Let me know if I did or if I made a complete screball of it."

(Blegh)

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty could tell that what she had said had stung Alex, his smile momentarily lapsed and for a second the Hufflepuff could not help but fear that almost straight away she had ruined the chance of a perfect evening. For once she could not work out why she had not kept her mouth shut, the first thing that came to her head and she had to blurt it out, typical. However it seemed that she had recovered from the whole thing quite well as the smile soon filled Alex’s face once again, normality was being restored, well as normal as things got between these two.

With there arms around each other, a smile on both of their faces Girty was finding it hard to not laugh with happiness. Over the course of the year that her and Alex had been together she had never been happier and every moment they spent together just never seemed to last long enough. As he slipped his hand into hers Girty did not hesitate and she let Alex lead her down the hill and towards Hogsmeade. So did not dare break the silence, instead Girty took this time to look at the flowers in which Alex had given her…they truly were beautiful, the thought and care that Alex had put into arranging it. Girty could feel her cheeks warm as they flushed in embarrassment and was almost grateful that Alex was not paying too much attention to her.

Before Girty could realise where they were Alex had come to a stop right outside the Majestic Bird. The Hufflepuff raised her eyebrows as she studied the sign outside the restaurant knowing this time to hold her tongue. Oh how she would have loved to turn to Alex and say ‘I hope your getting this meal for free, Grace owes me enough favours as it is.’ but instead Girty just looked up at the handsome man in front of her and grinned happily to herself.

“Alex my dear, everything you do in my eyes is perfect.”

It may have been a cheesy reply but then from time to time it was best to throw in a little bit of cheese. It was short and too the point and although on some occasions it might make you groan (Girty most defiantly was in her head) they were sometimes the most squeee worthy lines.

[Alex Doyle]

He knew he couldnt just let some words throw him off what he had planned. His smile returned, but was a little shaky. He rubbed his hands on his jeans to try and get rid of the clammy feeling. "How do you make me so nervous still, after a year?" He asked, slightly and pleasantly surprised by her ability to keep him on his toes. Afterall, Alex liked unpredictability, and Girty certainly gave him that. He took a step close, took her hands and smiled, for some reason, under the pale light of the moon and the soft shine of the stars, Girty looked more beautiful to him than she had ever been, he didnt think that was possible. But standing here, on this hilltop, where they had spent so many times laughing, everything seemed to fall into place. His smile stopped shaking as he held her hands, all nervousness washed away, she was perfect to him. He loved everything about her, there was nothing Alex didnt like. He freed one of his hands, running it through the side of her hair, putting it behind her ear, his eyes full of what he felt for her, everytime he touched her, even now, his heart threatened to jump out of his chest and he as much as he wanted to, he couldnt explain to her what she meant to him. No words could, even if he spoke for the rest of his life, he wouldnt be able to sum up how she had made him feel over this past year, and he never wanted it to end.

Their time together had been limited recently, much to his regret and he knew he was half to blame for it. Everytime he stopped doing what he was doing, helping in Muggle Studies mainly, he found himself thinking of Girty and wondering if she was thinking about him, and as much as he wanted to be confident and be able to say he was a good boyfriend, he couldnt help but think maybe he had been neglecting her. Running the back of his hand over her cheek, her skin as soft as he remembered it to be, he just wanted to stand here and this moment never end, but unfortunatly, time never does what you want it to. So, it was with a sigh and reluctance he stepped back, keeping her hand in his and walking down the hill, the night wasnt long, days never lasted as long as you wanted, and soon he would wake up and it will be tomorrow. That was a depressing thought all on its own.

He was stumped, he didnt know how to reply to that, so with a smile he bent down and kissed her forehead lightly, before taking her inside and being shown their seats. One of the waitress' said she'd bring the menu out shortly, but in resteraunts he knew, they often waited for the time, giving the couple a change to talk first. "Now? Or later?" He asked himself, fumbling around in his pocket. Now was as good a time as any he supposed, pulling out a thin envelope, he pushed it over the table to Girty, "I hope you didnt think those flowers were the main event." He smiled down. Inside the envelope were two tickets to a small Island in the Caribbean for three weeks over the summer. Thankfully, he had managed to save up enough money for the trip, and for them to be able to be in luxery, with the added help of his mother and father back home. He now just hoped that it wasnt too much.

"Do you like it?"

[Girty Hubbles]

Letting Alex lead the way, as for once he seemed to know what he was doing, she held onto his hand absentmindedly looking around the restaurant taking in the atmosphere more then caring to see who else was present. Even as they sat down at the table Girty was paying all that much attention to what Alex was doing, he seemed slight nervous about something and all Miss Hubbles could do was witter away about how well Grace had done the place up. It was only sound of her lovable goofball’s voice that woke her out of her own little world and brought her focus upon the envelope that he was sliding across the table towards her. “You know me Alex, I would have been happy with a cardboard box.” It was true, you could never have enough cardboard box’s, they had 101 uses but then they were not as pretty to look at as flowers or as intriguing as a sealed envelop.

Gingerly she picked it up a small grin of excitement filled her face, she felt like it was Christmas all over again, no, it was like Christmas and Birthday combined into one simply because it was a gift that Alex had given her. She was expecting it to be a card with some sickly sweet sonnet inside but alas it was two slips of paper…tickets to the Caribbean. Girty did not know what to say, she just sat looking at the two tickets that she held in her right hand. Her gaze flicked from Alex and then back to the tickets as she tried to calculate what was actually happening, expecting that in a single cruel blow she would wake herself up with a snort and find herself lying in her bed back up at the castle. But she did not wake up, she could feel the smoothness of the paper in between her fingers and anyway her own imagination had never been this romantic to her before. With a deep breath to try and regain her composure the Hufflepuff looked up once more towards her lovable boyfriend and all she wanted to do was lean across the table and kiss him.

The only problem was that they were in a public place and it would require effort to actually lean across the table in which they sat at. No matter how deeply she cared for Alex, heck how much she loved him, dramatic scenes of public affection was not really in Girty’s comfort zone. Carefully slotting the tickets back into the envelope she reached out and took hold of Alex’s hand giving it a small squeeze.

“Alex…” He throat went strangely dry but she knew she needed to carry on seeing as she had been silent for all to long. “This is…everything you have done tonight…it is perfect, your far to good to me.”

Girty had to stop right there as she was dangerously entering the realms of mushiness and no matter how much she loved to curl up on the sofa in the commonroom with a good romance novel she was defiantly not one to recite the passages to her boyfriend in the hope of stirring some deep emotion within him or any nosey sod who might be listening in. Her and Alex had been friends for so long, they had promised one another when entering this relationship not to lose what they had and for that Girty still treated him more like her best mate then boyfriend.