Gaston had heard through the grapevine that there was a party for one of his Lion cubs happening, and there was no way he would miss it! He made his way to the seventh floor with a plate of colorful macarons in hand. In the four terms he'd been teaching at Hogwarts, he'd become well acquainted with the Room of Requirement, so getting inside took him virtually no time at all. He entered the party with a wide smile on his face, but his expression changed as he looked around the room. Couldn't someone have warned him about the treehouse setting?

The scene brought back a lot of memories and mixed emotions for the professor. Some of his happiest moments at Hogwarts had happened in the old treehouse that used to be on the grounds, but the memories, though they were happy ones, made him miss his wife. He shook his head, spilling his dark hair into his eyes. Nope, he was not going to think about that right now! He was determined to stay positive for Stasya. No one wanted a brooding old sad sack spoiling the fun!

"Hello, everyone!" he greeted the students gathered, smiling at Bel, Gunnar, and Rylee each in turn. He helped himself to a glass of punch; then he turned to Bel. "This party was a wonderful idea! Did you make this punch yourself?" Oh, he just remembered the plate of macarons he was holding! "Where should I set these?"

Ah, there was the guest of honor! Gaston was beaming as he approached Stasya. "Happy, happy birthday, Stasya!" he exclaimed. Was he supposed to bring a gift to this thing or just food? Either way, he came prepared. He pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. Inside she would find a card shaped like a lion wearing a party hat that roars and purrs when petted.