Early Morning

Delilah rose from her bed groggy her hair a mess as she rolled herself out of bed at this ungodly hour. Why had they started this tradition in first year? Well because back then they actually cared about their birthday and getting older, because then it was exciting. Now Delilah found herself turning seventeen, well actually she was officially seventeen and so was Dagan. This was why Delilah was getting up from her bed at this stupid hour. She made a noise that could not be assumed to be a word as she shoved her feet into a pair of runners and adjusted her sweat pants and t-shirt she slept in. She pulled on a hoodie that was well worn with time that is what happened when you had to make sure your clothes lasted. In her pocket was Dagan’s birthday gift.

She shuffled from the dorm and went to get Dagan, he better be in the common room. She was not going to wait around forever for him to get his butt down to the common room when she could be in bed. Luckily for Dagan and his family jewels (cause she would have made an effort to sack him if he had not shown) he was there in the common room looking just as tired as she was. “Hey bro,” she said in a yawn voice as she shuffled towards him and draped and arm around him. “Let’s go!”

Delilah and Dagan left together, as they did every May 30th towards the pitch. They would sit outside in the morning air, with the dew-covered stands and trade gifts without anyone else around. Twins, as close as they were, needed some time alone to enjoy their birthday. They walked towards the pitch only discussing minor things in their groggy just waking up state. This was always the case since fourth year when they no longer appeared to be as awake at this time on their birthday. It was not until they were outside feeling the fresh air Del’s face did she wake up.

God modding approved

"BIRTHDAY!" Dagan shouted, jumping from his bed as his magical alarm clock bonked him on the head signaling it was time to get up. Few things got Dagan excited, but his coming of legal age in the wizarding world was one of them. It only came once in a lifetime, quite literally. Finally he could clean his room in the summers with magic, opposed to either not doing it or roping Delilah to do it for him. Life was sweet.

A roommate of Dagan's angrily threw a pillow at him, a non-verbal way of saying "shut up". This sobered Dagan a little, but it didn't stop him from barreling down the stairs like a madman only to find the common room empty. He debated going into the girls' dorm to beat Delilah for not hurrying, but the last time he'd done that much yelling and bruises ensued. He plopped himself down on a couch, grumbling to himself as he realized how tired he was now that the novelty of his birthday had begun to wear off, laying his head back. Fatigue was  setting in as he heard footsteps and his tired twin emerge from the stairs.

Following her out into the pitch, his present for her in his hand he stifled a yawn as he looked around, reveling it the world he was introduced to only six years before. Looking back down at his present for Delilah, he smiled hoping that she would like it. It only took four months of saving money he made doing work for Devlin to purchase it. That, and some savings he had put away for new Quidditch gloves. He'd work at Reducto this summer, he could buy them later. He didn't need new leather to win himself and his team the cup.

Once they got to the pitch, Dagan stopped to breathe in the fresh morning air. Breathing out with a smile, he turned to his sister and hugged her. "Happy Birthday, sis."

“Happy Birthday bro,” she said with a warm smile as she embraced her brother. It was always nice to know that Dagan would be around. She always felt like that when she hugged her brother that he would be around and things would be okay if he was around. Dagan had been around since the womb and Delilah really was not prepared for the time when they would both move out of the house and not be together. They have already been around each other; they even shared a room at home. Delilah was relieved that there was at least another year before they could potentially go their separate ways.

She pulled back from the hug and grinned at Dagan, “We’re seventeen!” She exclaimed in excitement, they were now legal in the wizarding world. They could use magic outside of school, as long as it was not in front of muggles other than their parents. Delilah was not excited about the aging aspect but she was definitely looking forward to the use of magic outside of school. If she got a part-time job over the summer in the wizarding world she could use her magic there.

She pulled out the parcel from her pocket of her sweater and handed it over to Dagan. She had got her the quidditch gloves he needed; she just hoped that they were the right ones. She had saved some of her money from the summer previous and the money she had earned by doing some odd jobs. Of course the amount she had was not enough and she had to borrow the difference from Waker.

"Seventeen, seventeen... teen seven... eleven plus seven... no wait, six... SEVENTEEN!" He shouted after much deliberation. Early mornings were not very good for Dagan's thinking processes. "Second I get home, second I get home I'm going to clean our room with MAGIC!" He shouted though he was in front of Delilah.

"Ye know I wonder... is our room carpeted or does it have wood floors? See your side is clean yeah but usually when I'm in there I'm sleeping." He said thinking aloud to himself, something he did quite often. "This also means getting a job over the summer gonna be a hell lot easier eh?" He smiled, "I was thinking Reducto... yeah. Music is sweet, it's good stuff..." He rambled on.

Taking the present from his sister, he handed her the smack package he had owl'd in for her. He had forgone buying himself new top line Quidditch gloves for the end of the year to buy his sister this present. It was a small magical necklace which opens up with a picture of the two of them as kids. It cost him a fortune, money he'd saved doing odd jobs around the school and magical cities. A loan from Devlin, his best friend sure helped.

"Hope you like it, Del." He said, now looking down at the package she handed him. He wondered what it was. For once Dagan was too focused on someone other than himself to consider what he was going to get in the end.

Thinking and mornings did not equal success on the part of her darling brother, and they never did why would they when you added in excitement. Del rolled her eyes with a slight chuckle at her brother’s mistake and shook her head, this was what she had to live with and this was the Dagan she adored. “You’re going to clean your side of the room!” Del sounded out in genuine shock, now that was unbelievable and she would have wait to see it to believe it. Dagan cleaning anything just sounded weird to him. “It has hard wood floors,” she said with an amused chuckle.

“Reducto, really? I am getting a job there too.” Del was somewhat surprised and it meant a summer with Dagan at work not only at home. Delilah held back that annoyed look she wanted to give, as this was their birthday after all and no need for that. Plus her mind was elsewhere almost immediately by the arrival of her gift in her hands.

Delilah looked down at the gift and carefully unwrapped it looking at the box that held her present so neatly. She pulled up the chain of the necklace and looked at the locket that dangled from the chain. She smiled as she opened it only to see a picture of them, it actually brought a bit of water to her eyes and sniffle to her nose. “Thank you!” She said before just wrapping her arms around her brother. As much of a pain in the butt Dagan was it was things like this that made her realize life would not be the same without him.

"Yes I know it's a marvel is it not?" Dagan said excitedly. "Ooh, we have WOOD FLOORS! We're moving up in society dearie." He said pinching his sister on the cheek to bug her. Dagan enjoyed annoying his twin, even on days like these. What were brothers for anyways?

"Yeah, yeah Reducto." He said smiling, "I didn't know you were working there. But that's a cool coincidence. So if we lose the Cup, I can be pissed at you AND Beatrix all summer! I hear she's working there as well. Weird one, Beatrix. But a helluva beater. We just get each other in the pitch." He said, realizing where he was. "Er, this pitch. Here." He added.

Dagan beamed when he saw that Delilah liked his present. He worked hard to get it for her; he knew their seventeenth was important. "I hoped you would like it!" He said, hugging her. He took her present and opened it up to see what he would've bought had he not saved up for Delilah. "QUIDDITCH GLOVES!" He shouted, shoving his hand into the glove and flexing his fingers. "Oh Del -- these are great! Such good finger dexterity, and this grip... won't love my bat again." He said, hugging her again. "What a great birthday."