[G.Hall] The Cupcake Queen

[Ellie Rook]

Where had Ellie been. Almost a month of term was over, and Ellie couldn't tell you one fun thing she had done in her 7th year. Little problems at Hogwarts had taken over her Head Girl life, as well as NEWT studies, and the whole Dan thing. Ellie felt like she hadn't stopped for two seconds. She had no idea where any of her friends were, and she figured, she had sold her soul to the school. She was no longer just a student, she was a facilitator.

Ellie felt so much older then all the kids that sat around her at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall. It was Ellie's rare day off. She usually had this day once every two weeks, and she usually spent the day sleeping or catching up on homework. However, Ellie decided to take the day off. The whole day devoted to nothing. She wasn't sure why she had decided to choose this day as her bum day, but she had. Ellie had lost track of time. She knew it was a Tuesday. But the date was fuzzy.

Ellie sat by herself on the bench. She wore a comfortable outfit, glad to be out of her robes for one day. However, she did wish she could have someone to talk too. Ellie picked through the waffles she had massacred but hadn't eaten. She gazed at her plate. Syrup dripped from the waffles. The syrup seemed to be getting lighter and lighter, until Ellie realized her plate was glowing. She dropped her fork with a clang on the stone floor. The plate was engulfed with light and then POOF! a cupcake appeared. In tiny script "Happy Birthday" was written underneath a lit candle. Ellie sighed, oh yeah, it was her birthday.

[Riley Harris]

Riley had a free period on Tuesday mornings so she usually chose to sleep in and eat a late breakfast. Most days the Great Hall was empty by the time she got there and had breakfast but today someone else was there. A Hufflepuff and Head Girl, Riley could just barely see the badge glinting in the light of the hall on her robes.

So this was Ellie Rook. Riley didn't know much about her except that she was Head Girl and constantly running around doing things for Head Master Hubble.

But she seemed sad staring into the remains of what appeared to previously be waffles. Riley decided to head over and try to cheer her up. As Riley walked over her plate started to glow and there was a small cupcake sitting on the plate where the waffles had been.

It was then that Riley arrived at the table and sat down across from Ellie. "Hello Ellie, My name is Riley. You looked like you needed a friend. Do you mind if I join you?" Riley smiled at the girl hoping to cheer her up at least a little.

[Ellie Rook]

The little flame flicked at Ellie. It mocked her. Seventeen. Ellie was officially an adult in the wizarding world. Some how this depressed her. So now, she wasn't only feeling old, but she was old. She was an adult. Ellie seemed to lose all her energy as she glared at the cupcake.

Ellie was pondering how odd she would seem if she picked up the cupcake and threw it, when she heard a voice directed toward her. She looked up to see a girl sitting across from her, with a smile that would be welcome at any other moment then this. Ellie was in a little bit of a shock as she looked at the girl through the little flame on the cupcake candle. Ellie knew Riley was a fifth year, it was her job to know that and try and know faces.

Ellie snapped back to reality. "Oh, Hi, sorry, Hi." Ellie said, stumbling through the sentence. "Yeah sure, join me, please." Ellie looked at her plate. The cupcake stared back. She smiled at the girl and pushed the plate away. A new plate appeared, nice and empty. Ellie smiled. "So, how's your semester going, Riley?" Ellie asked, trying to be the good little head girl she was. Suddenly as Ellie was listening to the response. The white light returned to her plate. Ellie groaned as another cupcake, this one with purple frosting and a yellow flickering candle appeared in front of her, mocking her.

[Paige Matthews]

The words on the page of the book she was reading were starting to become one big blur. Lord she hated studying, reading books bored her to tears and it seemed as if all she ever did at school was read. Of course Paige didn't want to flunk out or anything she liked the school but she really despised having to read. She knew what she needed and that was a bit of a break. Paige also had a short attention span so if she tried to force herself to focus she would simply end up getting angry and she didn't want to get angry it just took too much energy. Instead she chose to come back to the book later. For now she would find something else to do, and then she would return and read the chapters she had been assigned. That had been the plan anyway.

Sighing she tried to figure out what to do with herself. Well she cold always head to the Great Hall. Hunger started to rear its ugly head so she set out for some food. The doors flew open and the smell wafting toward Paige had her stomach growling, feet beginning to march her toward her house's table. The Puff crowd was usually a pretty good natured bunch so it didn't matter what time of day you took a seat there whomever was seated near would most likely be friendly.

Paige noticed Ellie Rook right away and made a beeline. She hadn't been the only one either because when Paige reached Ellie she noticed a girl was already there. If Paige wasn't mistaken she was a Gryffindor. Taking a seat she looked at both girls. "Hey Ellie, you OK?" then to the other girl she said "Hi there I'm Paige I don't think we've met" Paige was a friendly sort she didn't mind getting to know people even if they were from other houses. Ellie had pushed her plate away and in no time at all a new plate appeared weird Paige thought, shrugging her shoulders she grabbed her own plate so she could pile some food onto it, but something stopped her. Ellie's plate glowed and a cupcake appeared. Now the plates didn't normally do that, but Paige could instantly see that the cupcake was decorated like a birthday cupcake a cute candle included. "Ellie is it your birthday?" Paige asked curiously.

[Ellie Rook]

If Ellie could, she would stay sixteen forever. Sixteen was perfect. She was an adult, allowed to act like an adult and be treated like an adult, but technically she wasn't yet. She had all the time in the world to find herself and figure out who she was and what she wanted to do. She knew her time had been running short, but Ellie was so busy that she hadn't had time to think about it. She needed some help, but she wasn't sure where to turn. Now as the little flame flicked, just like the time bomb she had been pushing away exploded, she couldn't face reality.

The only thing keeping Ellie together was Riley's presence before her. She knew she had to act like her headgirl. Nothing was wrong with the headgirl; she is driven, smart, poised, happy. Ellie kept her cool, until the second cupcake showed up. Then she was ready to run. She would run straight to Professor Hubbles.

A few seconds later and Paige would not have found Ellie sitting at the Hufflepuff table. She would have brushed passed her as she entered the great hall. Ellie was again grounded by another presence, and she was glad to know this one.

"Paige! Hi!" Ellie said, over exaggerating the happy greeting in a way to compensate for obviously confounded look. Ellie smiled at her fellow Hufflepuff. Paige was a sweet girl and Ellie liked her. Ellie continued to smile. "I'm fine, great...perfect." Ellie gaze faded back to the cupcake and the candle before finishing her sentence. The question she had been dreading reached her ears. Ellie began with every intention of denying the change of age and everything that came along with it. "Oh, this cupcake...this one." Ellie laughed. "I guess it must be that other Ellie, from Slytherin's birth..." Ellie knew they weren't buying her crack pot story. "Yeah, its my birthday." Ellie sighed and placed her elbow on the table, her chin in her cupped hand. It was her birthday. "Happy Birthday to me." She muttered under her breath.

[Harrison Greg]

Weekends where also Harrisons favourite time of the week as it meant no lessons, no robes, no responsibilities and more importantly it gave him time to do what he did best…be lazy! The 7th year Gryffindor’s stubbly beard was thicker then normal after a few days of not shaving and his hair was a little bit more ruffled then usual. But where the Gryffindor did not make an effort with his hair he certainly still took pride in the clothes he wore on his back. After spending a fair bit of time eyeing himself up in the mirror in the dorms Harri then decided to satisfy one of his many urges…and go down to the great hall and eat.

Swaggering down the corridors of the castle Harrison walked past gaggles of fellow students in the corridor and in true fashion the bold Gryffindor would smile and wink at the prettiest of the girls. He enjoyed being his old self again; the whole Fay thing was just…not him. But the old Mr Greg was back and he was not going to act so stupid ever again.

As he walked into the great hall his blue eyes scanned the vicinity looking for a nice gaggle of students he could plonk himself down next too and low and behold there on the Hufflepuff table his prayers were answered. With a small toothy grin Harrison walked straight over to the girls and plonked himself down on the bench next to Ellie. “Hello there ladies.” He grinned around at them all as he reached over towards the closed fruit bowl and picked himself out the juiciest, crunchiest looking apple. After taking a rather large bite out of the apple Harrison noticed the cupcake that was sitting on the table in front of Ellie. “Someone’s the headmaster favourite.” He teased as he took another bite out of his apple. “Happy Birthday though Ellie. Got many birthday kisses today?” It was a rather tongue in cheek question to ask but then…that was Harrison Greg for you.

[Ellie Rook]

This stupid cupcake was causing Ellie way too much attention in a time where she would rather be invisible and run back up to her bed and cover her head in angst. Ellie was grateful to know that she had friends that cared to say Happy Birthday to her, but she wasn't grateful for the occasion.

Ellie remembered her first birthday she cold remember. She was living in New Zeland at the time, in a tent in the middle of no where. The family hadn't planned on spend much more then the summer at the camp, but October had rolled around and Ellie was turning six. Ellie's mother had always insisted that the best food came from good hard work and cooking. The lack of stove meant no cake for the little girl. Instead, Ellie remembered her mother frying up a piece of french toast atop the fire and sticking a twig which she lite on fire in the center. Ellie had blown out the candle and wished with all her might for a giant cupcake.

She was now regretting this wish.

Ellie had missed Harrison's greeting as she was lost in thought. However, the crunch of the fruit in his palm brought her back to reality. Ellie didn't look happy to see another person, though she did smile a bit at the thought of being the headmasters favorite. If Hubbles was behind all this, Ellie was sure he was get a piece of her mind later. "Kissing? Who'd kiss me?" Elie said with a smirk, trying to get the conversation off of her birthday, even if it was a sorry attempt. Ellie sighed, "No, Mr. Greg, I have not received a single one. Then again, I'm sure you are the only male yet to know about my birthday." Ellie said, thinking of young Dan and his absence, would he know? Would he give her a birthday kiss?

Ellie was now surrounded by an array of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors from a few years, and she was feeling claustrophobic. "Don't you chaps have anything to do besides watch me watch a cupcake gloat at me?" Ellie said, still avoiding blowing out her candle.

[Harrison Greg]

Well someone seemed did not seem happy to be another year older and Ellie was acting as if that tasty looking cupcake was the route of all evil. For Harrison it was to believe that anyone could find there birthday a sad day…or for that matter that a cupcake could be the evilest thing on the planet, but then that could explain a lot as it is always the cute and innocent you need to watch. But his mind was digressing, the matter at hand was that Ellie had not had any birthday kisses and the Gryffindor knew that if the places where swapped a kiss would make his day a hell of a lot better. Taking another bite out of his apple the Gryffindor munched on it thoughtfully as he raised an eyebrow almost in challenge to what the Hufflepuff has said about no one wanting to kiss her...compared to some of the people within the castle Ellie was quiet a looker.

Despite the fact it was clear Ellie was trying to move the conversation along Harri was not going to allow that, so placing his half eaten apple upon the table he rubbed his hands on his trousers and ran his tongue quickly over his dry lips. “I can think of one thing I could be doing.” He said with a cheeky grin as he reached over, placed a hand on either side of Ellie’s face so she could not turn away and planted a kiss square on the Hufflepuff’s lips. It was not the most spectacular of kisses, Ellie was clearly taken by surprise and Harrison was not willing to get too passionate about it with the mini audience around them.

“Happy birthday.” He whispered quietly as he pulled away, his sharp blue eyes locked upon Ellie’s and he gave her a cheeky wink. With a light chuckle the Gryffindor picked up his apple and took another bite out of it feeling rather smug with himself. Today was off to a good start and he felt like doing even more good deeds and it seemed that since it was her birthday Ellie deserved a little bit of attention, despite the amount she resisted the fact. “How about we go our later Ellie? Go for lunch or a drink, get you out the castle and avoid anymore embarrassing cupcakes.”

[Ellie Rook]

Ellie thought that she finally had brought the attention off her and that dreaded cupcake. Another birthday memory that popped into Ellie's head was when Ellie truly thought her birthday wish had come true. She had been eight, and all she wanted was a real panda bear. Living in china at the time, Ellie had no idea that Panda's were wild there. That night, a panda wandered into her back yard and she could have sworn it winked at her. From then on, Ellie named the panda Roger, and it was her panda. Since then, Ellie couldn't say exactly what she wished for, or if it came true. That memory just stuck out for some reason.

Ellie was about to ask Harrison what he could possibly have better to do, when she felt his hands grab her face and his lips touch her own. Ellie's eyebrows raises as she was taken by surprise. She didn't pull away. She was too aware of the other people in the great hall. As Harrison pulled away, Ellie smirked at the whisper of happy birthday.

Ellie kept her own blue eyes locked on Harrison's as he winked, she lifted her hands and touched the lips that had just been kissed. "Harrison Greg." Ellie said in a soft tone, still in shock, her cheeks turning steadily red by the second as Harrison took another bite of his apple.

Ellie wondered if she should just go out and have some fun with Harrison. She actually didn't have anything to do. It was her rare day off. Ellie felt that her cheeks were still red and flustered.Ellie looked around at the other faces around her, trying to get a grasp on what was going on. She then looked at the cupcake she had been avoiding. The candle that had been flickering at her was silent now, a little wisp of smoke rising from the wick. "Sure." Ellie said, lifting her eyes from the blown out candle to Harrison, holding that apple.

[Paige Matthews]

Paige was glad that Ellie had been there when she arrived in the Great Hall. Ellie was one of he few people Paige liked at school, she was normally sweet and didn't let her prefect status go to her head like some kids. Paige smiled easily at the other girl when she greeted her warmly it was nice to have someone happy to see her for a change. Paige settled in and too stock of everything going on around her so that cupcake caught her eye immediately since it didn't seem as if cupcakes were on the menu. Not to mention the thing had a candle sticking out of it. Paige wasn't really a shy sort so of course she commented on it. Ellie didn't seem to want to discuss it at all, matter of fact by the look on her face if she could disappear Ellie probably would. Paige looked at her curiously, surely the girl couldn't be upset about her birthday who ever would. Paige loved birthdays they were fun, attention, presents and some yummy cake who could ask for anything more. When Ellie finally coughed up the truth she didn't seem that enthused.

Paige wanted to ask her what was up but before she could put that plan into action another guest showed up at the table. Of course it was Harrison Greg who usually seemed to find a way to be surrounded by girls. Paige tried to stifle a giggle but it was hopeless so she opted for turning her head and acting as if she had a cough. Harrison and Ellie were talking one minute and the next...Paige had picked that moment to take a sip of some juice she poured. When Harrison kissed Ellie she had to do everything in her power not to spit it out.

Leave it to Harrison to do the unexpected. Paige finally swallowed and this time she did giggle openly. Looking at the two she said "well happy birthday to you Ellie and I hope I'm lucky enough to get a kiss like that on my birthday." Winking at Harrison she took another sip of her juice again thinking to herself what could be bad about birthdays.

[Harrison Greg]

That was something Harrison always likes to see, a ladies cheeks turning a slight shade of pink after he had either kissed or complemented them. In this case it was nice to see Ellie smile. Harrison may seem like a self obsessed moron but he did enjoy people watching…particularly beautiful girl watching, and he had noticed recently that Ellie had seemed to be lacking that all important ability to smile and that was a shame as she had such a lovely smile. Taking another loud crunch of his apple Harrison continued to focus his gaze upon Ellie, waiting with anticipation for her answer and when it eventually came the Gryffindor swallowed his mouthful of Golden Delicious and shot Ellie a smile that would be worthy of a toothpaste commercial.

“Excellent!” He could not help but chuckle and his laughter grew even more when Paige mentioned that she would hoped someone would give her a kiss on her birthday. Well, Harrison Greg was never one to shy away from an invitation and that cheeky little wink was defiantly an invitation in his book. Getting up off his bench Harrison walked around to Paige, he leaned over her shoulder and was immediately greeted with the smell of the apple juice she had been drinking. In truth the Gryffindor was a little weary of Paige Matthews, he did not know her very well and had no idea how she would react in this situation and so to save them both embarrassment and his cheek a possible slapping the Gryffindor simply planted a kiss on her right cheek.

“Count that as your deposit.” Harrison whispered in her ear before quickly making his escape back towards Ellie in the hope of avoiding any curses that could possibly be thrown his way. With a cheeky grin fixed upon his face Harrison sat down on the bench next to the head girl and wrapped an arm around Ellie’s shoulder. “Right-o Birthday girl, what do you want to do first?”