Harry Potter and the Time Fluke

Sparklers

Harry did his best to avoid Tom for the rest of the day without actually avoiding Tom. It was the other boy's birthday, and he didn't want to make him feel bad, but what they'd done that morning...

Harry tried not to think about it because it just brought an awkward grin to his face and caused his ears to turn pink—though that was getting better!

Merlin, he hadn't turned red so often since his crush on Cho Chang.

The day went by and Tom's birthday wasn't acknowledged by anyone at dinner. It bothered Harry that there were so few people in the school, yet none of them felt it necessary to wish his friend—boyfriend?—a happy birthday.

Maybe they didn't know?

That was probably why. The remaining students certainly wouldn't be aware of the significance the day held in regards to Tom, and the only professor who might have been privy to the information was Slughorn, who was away at some New Years party.

Or Dumbledore. But the man had a strong dislike for Tom and was suspicious about the earlier petrifications that year. He probably wouldn't wish Tom a happy-anything.

Ah, well, Harry glanced at Tom. At least he had one more surprise up his sleeve.

Every year Harry forced Tom to stay up until midnight, and this one would be no exception. Tom had settled himself in a chair in front of the fire and was enraptured by the book Harry had given him.

A glance at the clock told Harry it was time to put his final plan into action.

"Tom?"

The other boy cocked his head to show he was listening but didn't utter any sound.

"Put the book away, I've got one final gift for you."

That caught his attention. Tom closed the book and turned to Harry with a smirk. "Is it anything like the one I gave you earlier?"

Harry took great pride in his newfound ability to control the blood that did not rush to his face for once that day.

"No."

"Then why should I be interested?"

Harry let out a resigned sigh. "I suppose if you don't want your final gift I'll just keep it to myself." He stood and began walking towards the common room exit. "I'll see you later then, yeah?"

He got to the door and smiled when he heard Tom get up from his chair and begin to follow Harry.

"It's past eleven, you know?"

"And?"

"If we're caught, we'll get detention."

"Afraid one measly detention will forever tarnish your reputation and keep you from achieving Head-Boy-ship?" Harry teased, not caring in the least.

"The things I do for you," Tom mumbled as Harry took the lead.

"It should be, 'The things i do for myself,' since this is all part of my second birthday gift to you," Harry pointed out, guiding them through deserted halls and secret passages until they reached their journey's end.

Tom spared a look at their surroundings with a single, unimpressed raised brow. "And what, pray tell, are we doing here?"

"One moment, Tom, and I'll show you—Aha!" Harry produced a package of thin sticks from a pocket of his robes and then a single one from that. "Are you ready for this? Incendio!"

Harry met the tip of his wand with the tip of the stick and chanted the fire-producing spell and then held it out as an offering.

Tom looked on in shock at the boy across from him. When Harry had forced him to sneak out nearly thirty minutes ago—that's how long their wild trek had taken; to "throw off suspicion," as Harry put it—and way past curfew, the top of the astronomy tower had been the last destination to cross his mind.

And now, here they were.

"Are you sure this isn't actually your gift to yourself?"

"Tom, will you just play with the ruddy sparklers already?"

Tom sneered and crossed his arms. "No."

"You're being a prat."

"You're being a prat."

"Only a prat would say that." Tom's eye twitched and Harry grinned. "Come on, Tom, please? It's your birthday, the year's coming to a close, and you know VonSnipes would skin us alive if I set off the fireworks."

Tom's posture went rigid and the look on his face became infinitely more suspicious. "What fireworks?"

"The ones I'm prepared to set off if you don't wave the bloody sparklers around with me."

They stared at each other, neither giving an inch. It was when Tom's shoulders slumped that Harry allowed his grin to grow. He'd won.

"Alright, just give me one of the damn things already," Tom grumbled, lumbering over and snatching an unlit sparkler from the bag in Harry's hand, where he was also juggling his wand. "You'll tell no one of this," he warned in a dangerous tone that booked no argument.

"I make no promises. " Harry had always been immune to it.

After lighting multiple sparklers together and watching each one fizzle out, Harry could tell by watching Tom that the older boy was enjoying himself. His eyes had softened in the glow of the burning magnesium and the touch of a smile played upon his lips.

"Tom."

Temmoku eyes, the color of melted chocolate and filled with just as much warmth turned his way.

"Happy Birthday."

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AN: ahhh if that isn't just the cutest thing I've ever written then idk what to do.

Hope you all enjoyed the updates :)