Sweet Sixteen.. Or is it?

Serena Middleton sat in large recliner in the theater which was located in the west wing of the Middleton Manor. She held her old fat and lazy cat socks in her lap as she petted him and watched a movie. “Socks, is it time for your afternoon nap?” She asked scratching behind his ear. When she was younger she would have dressed her cat up as a princess in a fancy dress but she had completely out grown that stage in her life, and Socks was pleased by that. The cat meowed in response which made the teenaged girl giggle. “I thought so.” She said.
Today was Rena’s sixteenth birthday and so far it seemed as if everyone had forgotten; Even Ashton her childhood friend and now boyfriend. “You didn’t forget did you socks?” she asked sighing. Tears clouded up her vision and. “How could anyone forget my birthday?” She asked the old cat who seemed to look at her as if he understood. Really she wasn’t watching the movie that played on the large screen in front of her but let it play as she drowned in her own sorrows. She didn’t understand, she had always been like the princess of the family. She had always been the one they paid attention to and the one who go whatever she wanted, and now they couldn’t even say ‘happy birthday’ when passing her in the hall.
She hadn’t even seen her brothers or sister let alone her uncle who would have normally spent the whole day showering her with presents and doing whatever she wanted. In fact today everyone had left her completely alone. The maids hadn’t even told her when lunch was ready instead she had to find out for herself when she went down to the kitchen out of almost desperation for just a little bit of food and everyone else had already eaten and gone on their way again. “What can we do about them?” She asked Socks, “What can we do?”

There was something he was forgetting. It was really bugging him, since he woke up that morning he got the strangest feeling that he was forgetting something. He figured it wasn't anything important as he always got that feeling and what he forgot was usually something stupid, that he'd be able to do when he wasn't busy with something else. But this time the feeling wouldn't go away and it was starting to make him desperate. Finally after his mother had asked him about Serena, he remembered what he'd forgotten. "Shi - it's Rena's birthday today!" he exclaimed as he looked down at his cat, Dukey. The cat looked up at him and meowed softly.

"Mum! I have to go see Rena!" he called to his mother who was across the house as he raced toward the door, cursing inwardly to himself for even forgetting her birthday. Serena was the most important thing to him and he couldn't believe how stupid he had been to forget her birthday. "C'Mon Dukey! She must be mad at us for forgetting her birthday!" he said to his cat, who in return meowed happily as she hopped out the door and into the large front yard. He heard his mother scream something after him but he didn't really hear it and he raced with Dukey as they left the house for Middleton Manor. He still couldn't believe how stupid he had been and he actually wondered why no one had reminded him about her birthday, though he figured no one should have to remind him. He was old enough to remember the birthday of his best friend and now girlfriend.

As he approached the manor, Ashton looked down at Dukey who seemed even happier that they had arrived. He smiled and knocked on the door, waiting for a moment before a house elf opened the door and led him inside. When he asked where she was the house elf pointed toward the west wing of the manor and he nodded. "The theater?" he asked it and as the elf nodded, he turned away from it. Saying thanks he raced toward the theater and poked his head in and looked around before he stepped in. Ashton stood there for a moment as he watched Dukey trot over to Socks and Serena, making both their presences known.

“Dukey? What are you doing here?” Serena asked tilting her head to the side as socks jumped out of her lap and went over to the other cat. “Did Ashton come with you?” She asked as if the cats could answer and turned around to see Ashton standing in the door way. She narrowed her eyes at him then turned around to face the screen once again and crossed her arms with a little humph. As she did so her long dark hair flew out behind her before falling over her shoulders once again. “So you remember.” She said in an even monotone voice. She wanted to let him know she was upset even if it wasn’t just with him but she didn’t want him to see her crying.
She pulled her feet up in the chair with her so that they were underneath of her as she sat cross legged. Her face glowing in the blue lite form the movie she said “You’re not the only one who forgot my birthday.” She mumbled and looked down at the two cats that seemed to be as much in love as Rena and Ashton seemed to be. Though Rena really did love Ashton even if he did make her mad sometimes. He always had and she always forgave him because she could not live without him in her life.

The tone of her voice let him know that she was mad at him and he bit his lip. After a bit of hesitation he took a step forward into the room, his whole body immediately turning blue from the light of the screen. He didn't want Serena to be mad at him, he didn't like being the cause of her anger. She knew that he loved her, that she was his entire world and was still his best friend so it was logical that he didn't like her being mad at him. Even though he had forgotten her birthday, he remembered now and that was all that matter. He was there with her now but he knew that wouldn't be enough to make her happy again.

Still biting his lip, he took his hand out from behind his back revealing a bouquet of flowers and he walked to the back of Serena's seat. He looked down at the two cats as he walked, watching them as their eyes followed him for a moment before they looked back at each other, their tails wagging back and forth, sliding on the floor. Ashton stood behind her seat for a moment before putting the bouquet in front of her from one side and showing her a present from the other. "Happy birthday, love." he said, planting a small kiss on her cheek before he walked to the other side of the row, kneeling down in front of her.

He was sure she would love the present he gave her. It was a necklace and earrings set that had her birth stone in the middle with many small diamonds surrounding it. "Open it." he told her softly petting Socks since he was the closest one to him. "I'm sure you'll like it." he said. Looking up at her, he smiled. "Forgive me?" he asked her giving her another kiss on her cheek.

“Oh Ashy!” Serena squealed taking the flowers and jewelry box from him and setting them to the side so she could hug him. “Oh yes I forgive you. Don’t I always?” she kissed him on the cheek before picking the small box back up and opening it. “Oh my god Ash it’s so pretty. Thank you so much. Now you’re the only one that remembered!” she hugged him again and kissed him on the forehead. “Help me put it on?” she asked taking out the earrings she wore and replacing them with the ones he had just giving her. “Then we must put those flowers in some water.” Handing the necklace to him she turned her back to him and lifted her hair out of the way so he could put it around her neck. “Then maybe we could go out to the garden. It sure is nice out today. Don’t you think?” She looked down at Ashton with gleaming eyes and waited for him to answer or say anything in general.

"Thank you love." he said as she said she did forgive him and he hugged her back tightly. He watched as she picked the box up and opened it. He smiled at her reaction to his gift. "I told you you'd like it." he said,smiling at her. "I'm Sorry I ever forgot about it." he apologized softly as she hugged him again. As she asked him to help her put on the necklace he nodded. "Sure Rena." he told her taking the necklace from her gently and holding it in front of her, before slowly lowering it onto her chest. He locked the two pieces of the necklace together and he smiled at her. "It looks beautiful." he said. "But not as beautiful as you." he added softly, kissing her on the cheek again.

Ashton smiled up at her as he kneeled down all the way again. "Sure. As long as I'm with you I don't care where we go." he smiled at her. As she asked if he thought it was a nice day out he nodded and stood up. "Yes, it really is." he answered her, extending his hand for her to take. "Shall we go?" he asked her softly, looking down at the two cats who also seemed ready to go. "Y'know, it still feels weird not seeing Socks in those dresses you used to put him in." he smiled down at the cat, as he looked up at him.

“You did tell me I’d love it.” Rena said smiling at him, “you’ve known me like the back of your hand since we were five. You always get me the prefect birthday gifts.” Her whole face seemed to shine as she looked up at him her love for him clear in her eyes. “Aw you always say the sweetest things my dear,” She said blushing a little. “But yes let us go!” She said placing her hand in his. So he could help her up.
Their parents had never doubted that they would end up together. Even at a young age it was easy to see that the two could not live their lives without the other.
“Your right it is but he ruined so many of them. I’m sure he never really liked the dresses any way. Then there is always the fact that they don’t really make cat dresses in extra-large. He’s getting so fat and lazy, but I guess that it comes with getting old. Sometimes I wonder how he has survived this long the way I use to treat him like a doll. You know what I mean?” She picked up the flowers and held them in the cook of her arm as they walked down to the kitchen where she almost immediately handed them to one of the many house elves and hired hands and instructed them to place the flowers in a nice vase on her bed side table before skipping off into the garden with Ashton and the two cats not far behind.

"That's because I love you Rena." he told her. "You've been my best friend since we were little and even now nothing will change that." he added softly. He was glad that he had always been with Serena since they were young. He was glad that their mothers had met while they were at Hogwarts. It was all because of their meeting back then that the two of them knew each other so well. They grew up together and they would always be together forever. "After you madam." he said softly, smiling as he gestured for her to go on first. He still wasn't sure how it happened, but being with her for so many years had caused him to fall in love with her. He just loved everything about her.

Ashton nodded as he looked down at the cats. "Yeah, and it didn't help that Dukey always helped in ruining them." he said smiling down at the female cat, that was looking up at him as she walked beside them. "He probably didn't like them. He is a male after all, and cats just don't like being dressed up." he told her. He nodded at her mention of the extra-large dresses for cats. "Yeah, I know. But even if you hadn't treated him like that, he would've still been the same. Cats have pretty long life spans." he said softly. Ashton watched as Serena gave the flowers to one of the house elves and gave the elf specific instructions on what to do with them, and it made him smile. After she finished her business with the elf and the flowers she followed her quickly as she skipped to the garden, with Dukey and Socks trotting not to far behind them.

“I’m also surprised he still thinks like a guy cat. Wait can cats be gay?” She tilted her head to the side a little. As she skipped her hair swayed back and forth. She turned around so that she was attempting to skip backwards “So what do you want to do now?” not too far away there was a swing in a tree and there were also a lot of paths that the two could wonder along to their hearts content. “Maybe we can go over by our old swing, or we could walk along the paths, or we could get the brooms. That is if you want. Or maybe we could go climb that old tree.” She stopped skipping backward and waited for Ashton to catch up with her. Once she did she turned to walk normally and placed her hand in his.
Not only were the two perfect for each other in the sense that they knew each other just as well as they knew themselves. But even Serena could see how cute they looked together with their matching dark hair and dark eyes. Then they also had the whole opposites attract thing going on. Serena had always been a loud and lively person where Ashton had always been the quiet shy type. Sometimes it made Serena wonder why it had taken so long for her to see it.

The boy let out a small laugh at her question. "I'm not sure, bit I don't think so." he told her, clearing his throat. "I don't know. But be careful Rena, I don't want you to get hurt!" he exclaimed as he walked with her, his arms immediately extending out to her as a precaution in case she fell. He'd always been the careful type with everything, whether it was with himself or with others. He never liked seeing others get hurt, especially if he cared about them a lot, like he did Serena.

Ashton put his hand on his head as she said all the options they had and he thought about what they could do. "Why don't we do all of those things? Starting with the tree climbing?" he suggested, tapping his index finger on his lips afterwards. As she placed her hand in his, his grip on her hand tightened a bit as he continued to walk with her. The two of them were so different yet they were so much alike. Their personalities were so different, complete opposites, yet they looked so alike, same colored hair and eyes. To most it would seem like they're the perfect couple.