Harry Potter and the Time Fluke

Gift-Giving & Jealousy

Christmas passed the same as it did every year. White snow blanketed the ground, the castle was decked-out tower to dungeon, the feast was delicious, and then December twenty-six came and school was that much closer to starting up.

Harry and Tom both opened their presents early in the day and at a leisurely pace. There was no need to rush when you received less than ten each. Although, this year was slightly different in the fact that Tom had received more gifts from other members of their House and a few from other Houses too.

"That's what you get for strutting around and being a general suck-up," Harry admonished genially as he helped Tom go through his larger pile of gifts. Tom didn't reply, only rolled his eyes, and that was the end of it.

The rest of the break passed too swiftly in Harry's opinion, and soon it was the last day of the year.

Also known as Tom's birthday, to those that cared; and Harry did. It was why he was in his dorm room digging through his trunk to find the Parseltongue book he'd bought months ago when he'd been forced on that horrific date with Aquila—

He paused in his search and grimaced. He hadn't been very kind to her that day, but she hadn't made much of a fuss about it either once they were both back in the castle. He'd assumed she'd gotten over it...

If the reason behind why she's been snooping and being a regular pain in my backside recently is because I was a bit rude in response to her actions, I might have to kill something... Possibly myself.

He shrugged it off and continued his search, finding the object of his desires at the bottom of his trunk. Of course.

"Good morning, Harry."

He looked at the sleepy Nagini who had blinked awake at some point during his hunt. "Good morning, Nagini. Would you like me to renew the heating charm on the sheets?"

Nagini hissed out a negative, then tilted her head to the side. "But why are you here? I would have thought you would still be in bed with Tom?"

Harry felt a blush rising on his cheeks. It was good that there were no students in Slytherin, but Nagini was a whole other issue; and one he'd forgotten about, until she made her presence known. And always at the most awkward of times.

"He's sleeping. It's his birthday and I came to get his gift." Harry held up the package for her to see.

"I didn't know." Nagini slithered closer, the sheets doing nothing to stop her curious advanced. "Why didn't you tell me?" she accused.

"I'm telling you now..."

"I could have gotten him something!"

Harry raised an eyebrow as Nagini got as close to pouting as a snake could. "Like what, a regurgitated rat?" Nagini reared back and hissed at him, so Harry quickly tried to placate her. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean it like that. What would you have gotten him, Nagini?"

Nagini paused for a long moment, mulling it over in her head. "Information," she decided, after a long while's thought. "I could have gotten him information, if he wanted. I am still small, and not many notice a small snake sneaking in the shadows"

"You still can," Harry pointed out. "Just come to him later and say it's an IOU."

"I-oh-you?"

"Yes. It means that you recognize his birthday and your gift is that of subterfuge, to be utilized at a later date of his choosing."

"Hmm," Nagini flicked her tongue. "That sounds like an adequate proposal. I shall go to him later today and impart my gift upon him."