Hermione Granger was in a bad mood.

Even though it was her birthday, people knew better than to say anything to her when that expression was on her face.

The day had started out poorly – Harry was already dressed and gone when she woke up.  He hadn’t left anything acknowledging her birthday, though she’d mentioned it the night before.  He’d merely grunted.

“Bastard,” she muttered at the memory.

Then her day had gotten worse.  The potion she’d been brewing had blown up overnight and no one could tell her how or why.

“Idiots,“ she muttered at the memory.

Then, as if all that weren’t enough, she was told by her supervisor that her new project would involve working with Draco Malfoy.  Malfoy himself had been in the office when she was told, so she couldn’t vent to her boss about not wanting to work with him.  Malfoy had merely grinned.

“Bloody ferret,” she muttered at the memory.

She Apparated into the foyer of the house she shared with Harry.  Some part of her must have been expecting a surprise party, because she found herself highly disappointed when no one yelled, “Surprise!” at her.

“Stupid friends,” she muttered at the room.

“Stupid?” a voice behind her asked.

She jumped, startled.  One hand pressed to her chest to still her adrenaline-racing heart, she turned.

And her hands fell to her sides.

Wearing only a bow in a strategic spot was Harry.

“Happy Birthday, darling,” he grinned.

Hermione Granger’s day had suddenly gotten a lot better.