Finding Our Way

As the months passed since Mia came to Hogwarts, she got to know her fellow students better. Elizabeth and Lily were now her irrevocable best friends. They were basically together all the time, except when Lily was hanging out with Severus, who didn't feel very comfortable around them.

Sirius Black and James Potter had revealed themselves to be a lot more mischievous than Mia thought at first. Strange things, like pranks on the Slytherins and Filch, the caretaker, who seemed to be in a constant war with Peeves, the poltergeist, seemed to happen all the time when they were around. Along with Remus Lupin, they had taken little Peter Pettigrew under their wing and became a close group of friends.

Autumn had came and gone and winter was already halfway done. Christmas had passed to Mia with the absence of her parents, who had been in some trip to Switzerland. They had sent her a very formal postcard not once mentioning her name in it, leading Mia to believe it was one of the massively printed postcards they always sent to their meaningless acquaintances). How nice of them, she had thought sarcastically when she had first seen it. Fortunately, Lulu had been around to decorate the Christmas tree with her and (unsuccessfully) bake cookies.

And as February was about to come to an end, Mia's birthday, on the 28^th, approached. That fact hadn't particularly excited her until Elizabeth had started making plans to throw her a massive birthday party. To tell the truth, Mia had never had a real birthday party in her life. Lulu had always celebrated it with her, frequently seeming like the occasion itself was more important to her nanny than to herself. She surely cared more that her parents, who had only been around once or twice to celebrate it. So, this year, her birthday would be even more special because she would have her first party.

"I've already talked to the house elves. They agreed to provide us food and drinks," Elizabeth told her two days before her birthday, checking from a list. "And Lily took care of letting the other people know, so I think we're all set.

"You didn't have to do all this," Mia told her friends.

"Don't be silly. It is our duty to make sure you at least have at least one decent birthday party in your life," Lily told her.

"We should do this every year," Elizabeth suggested. "I like this whole planning-a-party thing. And it is a good source of entertainment."

Mia shrugged. "If that makes you happy..."

They eventually abandoned the panning to start with the tons of homework McGonagall had given them. The common room was practically empty as first years were the only ones with Friday afternoon free.

Eventually, someone entered the room through the portrait hole. "Everyone will remember the party for years! Your birthday will be a great way to end the month." They heard James Potter telling someone.

Birthday party. End of the month. February 28^th. James was surely not taking to Mia, which meant someone else was planning a party in her birthday. She turned around slowly and saw James him standing with Sirius.

"Your birthday doesn't happen to be on February 28^th, does it, Sirius?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Sirius said.

Mia looked at him incredulously. "You're joking, right?" Mia asked him coolly.

"Why would he be joking?" James asked back confused.

Lily got up and defensively put herself in front of Mia, who was also up at the moment. "Because," she started. "February 28^th is her birthday as well, and we are throwing a party for the Gryffindors."

"Oh boy!" Remus said, sitting by Elizabeth's's side along with Peter. This is going to be interesting.

"...even think of it! February 28^th is MY party! With all the Gryffindors!" Sirius was shouting.

Elizabeth shook her head. "That's mature," she mumbled to Remus, who nodded.

The fight went on for several minutes, with Lily, Peter and Remus watching in disbelief.

"...you are such a goody two shoes!" Sirius told Mia.

"Take that back!" Mia shouted, looking extremely offended.

James joined the fight, stating that Sirius was right and Lily's shouts got even louder.

"They're going to kill each other," Peter whispered. "Weren't Sirius and Mia the ones fighting?"

Elizabeth got up. "This is stupid. It's just a party. We can work it so they'll share with no problem."

Remus thought for a moment and nodded. "I guess it's not a bad idea."

"Who's gonna tell them?" Peter inquired, hoping it was not him. Getting in the middle of that fight didn't seem a good idea to him.

Remus took a deep breath. "I can do it."

He approached the group and managed to shut both parts up after a few tries. He picked his words carefully while explaining their plan of a conjoint party. "You don't even have to be together," Remus stated. "You can simply be in opposite corners of the common room like two different parties in the same place. I think it is the fairest choice, guys."

There was a moment of silence that both Mia and Sirius spent weighing the pros and cons. It seemed like it was either that or a duel to decide who would take the whole thing.

"If there's no other choice," Mia said.

"Guess I'll have to suck it up," Sirius agreed reluctantly before taking a seat with James by one of the tables.

They glared at each other for a moment before Mia grabbed her things. "I don't feel like studying here," she said. "I'm going to the library."

---

Two days passed quickly, and the time for the party arrived. Nobody really cared whose party it was, to tell the truth - just as long as there was a reason for them to stay up late, it would be received with open arms.

An imaginary line had been drawn in the common room to separate Sirius's territory from Mia's and, so far, it had been religiously respected by the two. Lily and James also opted to stay on their respective best friends' side but Peter, Remus and Elizabeth had been circulating between both territories doing their 'diplomatic work', as the latter put it.

"As long as they stay on their side and we stay on ours, it will be fine," Lily told Elizabeth when she suggested a truce between the parts.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Right, you're just happy James isn't sticking around," she said. "He's really not that bad."

"Maybe to you," Lily replied.

Mia didn't say a word through all that. To tell the truth, she had been feeling a bit sorry for the way she had handled things with Sirius two days ago. It wasn't his fault he had been born in the same day as she had. It was actually sort of funny, all things considered. "I think maybe I was too hard on Sirius," she murmured to her friends. She looked at Elizabeth. "Maybe a truce wouldn't be such a bad idea."

The blonde girl smiled. "I knew you would see the light. Come on, let's make that truce," she said, pulling Mia behind her. Lily murmured something about joining them later - she was probably trying to avoid James Potter.

Mia and Elizabeth walked through the mob, the first being greeted by Marlene McKinnon and Mary MacDonald before they reached Sirius's territory. He was standing by the fireplace laughing with James about something. "...and he caught the snitch right in front of Yaxley's nose!" Quidditch, right. He stopped talking when he saw her coming with Elizabeth. "Mia," he acknowledged her with a nod. James, Remus and Peter quickly excused themselves by saying they had something to do and Elizabeth said she was meeting back with Lily, leaving the two alone.

"Sirius," she replied. "Happy Birthday. I wanted to apologise for that thing two days ago. I overreacted. I'm sorry."

He grinned slightly. "I also had my share in that. I'm sorry too," Sirius told her.

"Well then, let's shake our hands and forget this," Mia suggested.

"Couldn't say that better," he replied before they shook their hands in a gesture of peace. "Friends?" he asked, hoping she would say yes. "Let's face it: we have the same birthday and it is likely that we'll have to share our birthday parties from now on. We'd better be friends or this could turn into one big mess."

"That's a good point," Mia agreed nodding. "Friends, then. But promise me we won't let the fact my best friend hates your best friend's guts get in the way. Or that your best friend has such a hopeless crush in my best friend--"

"I get the point," he interrupted. As much as I'm concerned, our friendship will be unaffected by any Lily Evans/James Potter situation."

"Well, that does clear mind," she said. "So, had a nice birthday?"

"Better than those I spent at home," he told her. It was good, for a change, to have a birthday away from that hole he called a home. "But my parents made sure I received a nice book about the importance of blood status. I think I have bedside reading for the rest of the year," Sirius told her, sarcasm all over his voice. "What about you?"

"It was nice. My parents forgot my birthday... again. Not that it bothers me anymore. Still, Lulu, my nanny, sent me a postcard and loads of sweets," Mia said. "She has directly commanded me to rot my teeth."

"Too bad we can't pick our parents," Sirius concluded. "I'd switch mine with James' in a heartbeat. I spent Christmas with them and they are great!"

"I'd switch mine with Lulu," Mia told him.

"You're very close to that Lulu."

"Yeah, she's practically my mother... or some sort of protective older sister," Mia explained. "She would practically let me do anything when I was younger. She said that the best way for me to learn what I should and shouldn't do was by feeling it on my skin - if I got hurt, I would realize that it was probably not such a great idea to try again."

"Must be awesome," Sirius said. "My parents were all 'don't do this, don't do that'. And then they wonder I don't give a damn about what they say."

"Good thing you didn't," Mia told him. "No offense, but they sound awful."

Sirius laughed in disdain. "They are just as great as they sound. Tell you what, let's forget and go find everyone else."

She nodded and followed him. And years from then, in Mia's mind, that would be remembered as the day that changed everything - the first step to a larger future.