Valentines Birthday PV FRIENDS Closed

#550c00

Rhys wasn't sure what they were expecting the morning of Valentine's Day, but it certainly wasn't a chorus of voices singing "happy birthday" out of sync and out of key in multiple ways. Groaning inwardly, they lay their head down on the table, waiting for it to be over. Of course someone had a birthday on the day that Rhys disliked the most. And of course people were making a scene of it.

Happy birthday to you...

Rhys was so tired, and it was too early for this. They already had limited patience when it came to the so-called Day of Love, and a loud, obnoxious birthday display at breakfast threatened to give them a headache before the exaggerated displays of love by the various couples around them could.

Happy birthday to you...

Lifting their head, Rhys took a moment to register that the terrible chorus of singing was coming from the Slytherin table. Or, more specifically, a group of Hufflepuffs that were crowded around someone over at the Slytherin table. Due to the way they were positioned, Rhys couldn't really make out the victim of the display. Out of curiosity, they craned their neck in an attempt of getting a peek through the eager group, who all bore similar traits. Probably siblings, cousins, or both. Typical. Rhys turned to grab their tea, sipping from it in a rather bored manner.

Happy birthday, dear..

Qrow?! Rhys nearly choked on their tea, setting down their goblet to avoid spilling it as they whipped their head around incredulously. Sure enough, as the Hufflepuffs (blessedly) finished up their song, they parted to reveal Qrow was at the center of attention. One of them threw herself upon them in a hug and they all appeared to chatter for a few minutes before they dispersed. Qrow was left alone.

Not for long, Rhys thought decisively, gathering up their stuff before walking over to the Slytherin table and sliding into a spot next to Qrow. They propped their head up on one elbow, looking at the Slytherin with narrowed eyes.

"You didn't tell me today was your birthday," They accused, jokingly. "I would have gotten you something."

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@Qrow Beithir

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Interacting with @Rhys Read

I love my cousins. I love my cousins, I love my...

Qrow had forgotten how vicious the triplets could be when it came to the birthday bumps. The twelve-year-old could already feel bruises blooming on their arms as they rubbed where they had been punched.
They were happy when the three Slytherins had gone back to the other end of their table, though no doubt the lot of them were scheming something up for later.
Before the metamorphmagus had started Hogwarts, their cousin Clover had sent an owl saying how the triplets had managed to get the Hufflepuffs to sing along with the family. Not only that, but they had done it during each meal.

I will never know peace, will I?

The bench moved slightly as somebody sat down next to them and the Slytherin was ready to tell whichever one of their cousins it was to kindly 'piss off', as they weren't awake enough yet to deal with their family or their antics for that matter, but any scathing comment they had died on their tongue as the person spoke.

"You didn't tell me today was your birthday," they accused, jokingly. "I would have gotten you something."

Rhys.

Rhys-bloody-Read had just witnessed their multitude of cousins sing a rather painful rendition of Happy Birthday. Qrow's hair turned a bright shade of pink as they looked up at Gryffindor. The Slytherin was honestly horrified.

At the bottom of the Slytherin table, Effie wolf whistled whilst Emer and Ekene began howling, literally, between peels of laughter, making crude hand gestures at their embarrassed younger cousin and their companion.

Qrow wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow them whole.

They dutifully attempted to ignore the triplets, hoping and praying that Rhys had not seen them, instead focusing on the said Gryffindor beside them.
"You don’t have to get me anything." The redhead replied with an awkward laugh as they scratched the back of their neck.

"Damn right, they don't. Gods forbid, you’ve already got a big enough ego, baby bird."

Qrow was unsure when Rhona had even gotten there, but she gave the first-years a menacing grin before grabbing the younger Slytherin by the back of their collar and giving them a noogie.

"The triplets told me I missed your song. No matter, I won’t be missing the next two, and I hear Netsai has something planned!" She mused, letting go of Qrow, patting Rhys’ head, and grabbing a slice of toast.
"This one's cute." She said, motioning to Rhys, before she skipped off towards the Hufflepuff table.

"Sorry about them. My family can be... a lot." Qrow said, looking down the table at the triplets as they talked adamantly to one another. They were definitely planning something.

"Truth be told, I’m not overly bothered about my birthday." "I mean, it’s nice, but I don’t really care for it."

Sighing deeply, they rested their heads on the table, their eyes still peering up at Rhys through short, curly tufts of pink. By the look of their eye bags and bedhead—made worse by Rhona's brutal assault—it was obvious that the Slytherin wasn’t a morning person.

Gods, they really needed coffee.

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Qrow's hair turned a bright shade of pink as they looked up at Rhys, who had to bite back a smart comment at the Slytherin's apparent mortification.

At the bottom of the Slytherin table, an older girl wolf-whistled, and two others-- the group must have surely been a set of triplets- chimed in with howls of their own, aiming this obvious harassment towards the two of them. Rhys gave a heavy eyeroll before returning their attention to the metamorphmagus, who looked just about ready to spontaneously combust.

"You don’t have to get me anything." The redhead replied, giving an awkward laugh and scratching at the back of their neck.

"Damn right, they don't. Gods forbid, you’ve already got a big enough ego, baby bird." An older Hufflepuff had materialized, giving both of them a menacing grin before grabbing Qrow and delivering a noogie. Rhys winced as they watched the scene take place-- they themself had never been a fan of receiving them whenever Rhun felt especially testy, and so they sympathized with the redhead. "The triplets told me I missed your song. No matter, I won’t be missing the next two, and I hear Netsai has something planned!" She mused, letting go of Qrow, patting Rhys’s head, and then grabbing a slice of toast. "This one's cute." She said as she motioned to Rhys before heading off to the Hufflepuff table. Rhys, caught off-guard by the head-pat, as well as the comment that followed, looked up in surprise, their face flushing.

"Sorry about them. My family can be... a lot." Qrow said, looking down the table. "Truth be told, I’m not overly bothered about my birthday.. I mean, it’s nice, but I don’t really care for it." The Slytherin sighed, resting their head on the table as they looked up at Rhys through their still-pink hair. They were obviously tired.

"I know I don't have to, but I'd still like to," Rhys spoke, poking Qrow's arm gently as they also rested their head onto their arms and peered back at Qrow through their own mess of bedhead. "And don't worry about them.. I know what it's like." They mostly meant Rhun, though in past years Rhain had been quite bothersome, too. But in the immediate area were a handful of cousins of Rhys's own-- those on their dad's side that had been sorted into Slytherin. Most of their cousins were, with only a handful of Ravenclaw.

Rhys and the twins were the only grandchildren to be Gryffindors, as well as half-blooded. It certainly made for an interesting time whenever Sebastian and his children visited for the holidays, as well as whenever the cousins ran into Rhys at Hogwarts. But Rhys's cousins were a bit less obnoxious than the triplets, instead conversing behind the veil of their hands and casting glances their way. Collecting gossip for the next letter home to their parents. More reason for the grandparents to disapprove of Sebastian Read and his half-blood children.

"'S a shame you're actually older than me," Rhys smiled tiredly.

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notes for myself
Rhys | #550c00 ]Qrow | #064107]

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Interacting with @Rhys Read and @Mahlioz Evethisawe
Qrow | #064107 | Qrow's Thoughts | #11a513

"I know I don't have to, but I'd still like to," Rhys said, poking Qrow's arm gently as they also rested their head on their arms and peered back at Qrow through their own mess of bedhead. "And don't worry about them. I know what it's like." For a moment, the Slytherin almost forgot that their friend had a fairly large family of their own. Albeit, Qrow certainly had more cousins—their numbers are nearly in the 30s now—but their friend, unlike them, had siblings. It was times like this that they almost felt blessed for having grown up as an only child; they couldn’t imagine having to deal with people like their cousins all the time.

That sounded like actual hell.

"'S a shame you're actually older than me," Rhys said, smiling tiredly.

The pink-haired metamorphmagus looked quizzically at the Gryffindor. "Oh yeah." They said with a smirk, "Why is that?"

"Qrow?" a familiar voice said from behind.
Qrow sat up, pushing back short pink curls from their face to get a look at who was talking to them.
Mahlioz. A sweet and shy girl that the child had made friends with on the first day during the opening feast
"Hello," she said with a smile before turning directly to the Slytherin. "Happy birthday?" It came out more like a question, and Qrow snickered at their friends' awkwardness. "I didn't know your birthday was today—what's it like having it on the, um, 'day of love'?" She glanced down at all the presents her friend had received. "Wow, if I'd known, I would've gotten you a plant or a book or something. But I think your family has definitely gotten you enough for the both of us, and perhaps the whole school." Qrow’s hair darkened in their embarrassment.

"Personally, Mahl, I don’t particularly care for it," they replied, reaching across the table for a large jug of coffee and another slice of toast to replace the slice that their cousin, very rudely, stole. Honestly, it was rather unfortunate to be born on the so-called ‘day of love," and while at home the day was usually all about Qrow, at Hogwarts it was disgusting. They hadn’t grown up celebrating Valentine's Day, and they weren’t about to start now. In fact, all of the pink and red was rather nauseating.
"And as I just told Rhys, I don’t need you guys to get me gifts."

The other Slytherin looked at the Gryffindor in question before sticking out her hand. "I'm Mahlioz. She/they," she said in introduction. "Nice to meet you." Qrow took a sip of their coffee—black, no sugar—and smiled into the cup. It was rather heartwarming to see how far their friend had come since the beginning of the year, especially considering how shy she had been back then. Of course, she was still incredibly shy, but it was nice to see how much she had changed in such a short time.

Honestly, there was something horribly sweet building in the Slytherins chest, and it pissed them off that they might actually enjoy the changes to the way they usually spent their birthday if it meant that they got to spend it with their friends…

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"Oh yeah." Qrow said with a smirk, "Why is that?"

"Qrow?" A voice said from behind them as Rhys opened their mouth to reply. Rhys turned to see who'd spoken. Lo and behold, it was another Slytherin first year, with short, cropped hair, milk-chocolate brown skin, and startling green eyes. "Hello," She greeted Rhys with a smile before turning to Qrow. "Happy birthday?" It came out as a question, and Rhys registered a snicker from Qrow's end. "I didn't know your birthday was today—what's it like having it on the, um, 'day of love'?" She glanced down at the variety of gifts the redhead had received. "Wow, if I'd known, I would've gotten you a plant or a book or something. But I think your family has definitely gotten you enough for the both of us, and perhaps the whole school." Qrow’s hair darkened.

"Personally, Mahl, I don’t particularly care for it," they replied, reaching across the table for a large jug of coffee and another slice of toast. "And as I just told Rhys, I don’t need you guys to get me gifts."

The other Slytherin looked at the Gryffindor in question before sticking out her hand. "I'm Mahlioz. She/they," she said in introduction. "Nice to meet you." Qrow took a sip of their coffee—which Rhys noticed was black, no sugar— and Rhys turned to Mahlioz, shaking her hand. They, like their father, had a firm handshake-- because, apparently, it mattered to, and it had been engraved in their mind to keep it that way.

"Rhys, they/them." Letting their hand dropped, they picked up a nearby empty goblet and filled it with tea (extra sugar), for they had left theirs over at the Gryffindor table. They gave Qrow a pointed look. "And, as I just told Qrow, I'm still going to get them one." Rhys stifled a yawn, running a hand through their hair and poking at the redhead's arm. "Because, while Valentine's day is a capitalistic scheme, I think it a valuable use of my time to commit to getting Qrow a gift." They grinned, looking to Mahlioz. "What do you say? About the same?"

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notes for myself
Rhys | #550c00 ]Qrow | #064107

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Interacting with @Rhys Read, my beloved, and bestie @Mahlioz Evethisawe
Qrow | #064107 | Qrow's Thoughts | #11a513

"Rhys, they/them." They said, letting their hand drop and picking up a nearby empty goblet, filling it with tea (extra sugar) before they gave Qrow a pointed look. "And, as I just told Qrow, I'm still going to get them one," Rhys added with a yawn, poking the sleepy Slytherin.

"Because, while Valentine's Day is a capitalistic scheme, I think it's a valuable use of my time to commit to getting Qrow a gift." They grinned, looking at Mahlioz. "What do you say? About the same?" Mahlioz nodded at the Gryffindor's statement - the other Slytherin snorted - Rhys was certainly right on that front at least, and, while Qrow was very appreciative of their friends wanting to give them a good birthday, there was something that told them that a friendship between Mahl and Rhys was probably not one of the best ideas.
"For sure," she answered with a grin. "We can ignore the other festivities, but come on, we should celebrate!"
Celebrating didn’t seem like something that would be Mahlioz’s, or Rhys', for that matter, forte. Still, the fact that they wanted to do something to celebrate made the redheads heart warm and fuzzy, regardless of the building dread over their newly found friendship. It almost felt as if they were ganging up on the poor metamorphmagus. "What do you want to do?"

The question felt oddly loaded despite its simplicity.
What did they want to do?
It was too early in the morning for something big, that was for sure, and there was no doubt that their cousins were planning something or other for later tonight. Honestly, all the child wanted right now was to get out of the great hall and bask in the sun by the lake.

"A picnic by the lake sounds nice, if I’m being honest." They started, only slightly less drowsy than they had been earlier. "Besides, it gets us away from all the... pink."

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