1st Year, December 31st, New Years.
It was dark out, and they had snuck out of their respective common rooms to hang out and explore Hogwarts with each other. Especially since it was Tom's birthday today. They were laying beside together outside, on the Quidditch Pitch, in the snow and watching the starry night sky above them.
The snow was untouched around them, except for the deep footprints they had left. They had dressed appropriately for the situation, covered head to toe in jackets, woolen hats and mitts, and warm boots. They were in the middle of the wide field, the perfect view of the stars glittering above them. They couldn't take their eyes off of it, heads craning upwards to keep on glancing at the moon. It was a beautiful, shining crescent moon, with no clouds in sight.
Harry had cast some sort of warming barrier between them and the snow, Harry was the first to let his back fall into the white powder, sinking several inches deep with a joyous laugh. Tom loved the sound of Harry's laughter, it was a thing that could make the clouds part, and let sunlight penetrate through it.
Eventually, they both were lying in the snow, out of breath from both laughing and flailing their limbs around to make snow angels (after much insisting from Harry's end). Tom had never felt so happy in his life, he decided that as long as it was just him and Harry, he wouldn't mind celebrating birthdays every year.
And there they laid, in a peaceful, blissful sort of silence as they admired the night sky. Tom's limbs were freezing but he had never felt so warm in his life. Tom marvels at how Harry could make him feel so much joy. He was special, a shining sun that Tom wanted desperately.
And then.. Harry had gently grabbed his hands, locking their fingers together as he pulled out a small, wrapped present. It was in a white packaging, with red bows and laces on top. Tom looked at it wordlessly, he'd never gotten a present before, not in his life.
Harry squeezes his hands, they were warm. He puts the present in Tom's fingers and moves Tom's joints so that they closed around it. Harry looks at him with a grin, and Tom couldn't find it in himself to breathe. 'Open it.' Harry says, eyes bright. Tom carefully pulls at the bow on top of the present, not wanting to destroy the packaging. Before he opens it, he sits up, not wanting whatever object to fall onto his face. Harry remains laying in the snow, contently watching Tom.
When he opens it, his eyes widen when he's temporarily blinded by a glowing from inside the box. Right there, his present was a ball of pure light. It had silvery wisps around it, a pure white orb that floated out of its containment and twirled in a circle above Tom.
'I made it..' Harry said nervously when Tom hadn't talked for about a minute, busy staring at the wonderful magic radiating off of the orb. 'It's really useful, actually. It can direct its light to anywhere you want it, you just need your wand to direct the spotlight.. and it can shrink and grow bigger, but only for ten or so inches..' he's rambling anxiously, eyeing Tom, and all he can think about is how much brighter Harry shone compared to his present-
'Erm.. but, yeah.' Harry finishes awkwardly, and then, clearing his throat and muttering, he looks at Tom with the most beautiful smile to have graced this earth, at least, in Tom's eyes. 'Happy birthday, Tom.'
Tom doesn't say a thank you, instead,
'I'm going to marry you.' Tom says loudly.
Harry turns his head looks at him blankly, the snow crunched from under his head. And then, his face transforms into one of the softest smiles Tom had ever seen- he thinks that maybe Harry was an angel sent from Heaven, his salvation. His raven black hair was decorated with big, fluffy snowflakes, his nose and cheeks pink from the chill of the air. He laughs a bit, 'I'm guessing you liked your present?'
Tom's ears felt like they were burning, and he stamps down the flush the best he can. 'It's.. good. I like it.' he lays down on the snow again, the glowing orb still floating in the air, casting an illuminated light on the Quidditch Pitch. 'I love it.' he whispers as he looked at Harry in the eyes.
'I'm glad.. I honestly had no idea on what to get for your birthday.' he replies, staring at Tom with those big, green eyes of his. Tom opens his mouth,
'I mean it, Harry.' Tom says, 'I'm going to marry you when we're older.' he's telling the truth, shoulders knocking into Harry's gently. He continues, ranting off his thoughts, 'We'll grow up together, and then one day, I'll propose to you-' he looks Harry in the eye, '-and you'll say yes.'
'And then, we can be best friends forever!' Harry chirps up happily, a bright grin on his face. His eyes sparkle beautifully, Tom laces his fingers with Harry's.
Tom hums, still not moving his gaze away from the other boy, his expression thoughtful. 'Yes, we will.' he agrees.
'I'll wait for you.' Harry whispers, his face had a small, warm gentle curl in his lips. He pushes himself more a bit more on his side, and slowly brings out a gloved pinky, holding it in front of Tom's face. 'You have to pinky-promise, though.'
Tom wrinkles his nose, Harry giggles and pinches his cheeks. 'Come on!' he urged quietly, shoving his pinky closer. Tom lets out a reluctant sigh and hooks his own with Harry's.
'I promise.' he declares, letting the happiness worm its way to his face. They unhook pinkies and Harry falls back on his back again with a satisfied huff, head now staring up at the sky. Tom still lets his eyes wander Harry's features. His long, dark eyelashes also had a bit of snow clinging to them, and his green eyes were almost glowing in the night. Tousled black hair stood out in the white snow around it,
Harry gasps, startling Tom from his observations for a moment, Harry's left arm shot up, pointing at the sky. 'Tom!' he said excitedly, 'Tom, I think I saw a shooting star!'
Tom tears his eyes away from his soon-to-be married partner, this time scanning the pretty light dots in the dark void, trying to spot another one. He asks Harry, 'Did you wish for something?' from the corners of his eyes, he can see Harry nod eagerly. 'Well.. what did you wish for?'
'Oh, well I wished..' Harry lets out another gasp, covering his mouth with his mitten. 'I can't say!'
Tom raises an eyebrow even though he knew Harry wouldn't be able to see it from lying down in the snow beside him, '..And why not?'
'Because, if I tell someone about it.. it won't come true.' Harry says seriously. Tom rolls his eyes freely, Harry must have some psychic power to sense movement, because he lightly nudged his foot against Tom's ankle to kick him.
The nudge from Harry only added to the merriment of the night. Tom chuckled, his breath forming small clouds in the crisp winter air. He turned his head to face Harry, who was still gazing at the sky with pure awe.
'Well, that's just superstition, you know,' Tom teased, reaching over to lightly tap Harry on the nose. 'If you share your wishes, they might just come true, and then you won't need to keep secrets.'
Harry squinted playfully at Tom, a grin breaking across his face. 'You're just saying that because you're too scared to share your own wishes.'
Tom huffed in mock offense. 'I'm not scared of anything, least of all sharing my wishes. I just happen to have more important things on my mind, like planning our future together.'
Harry laughed, the sound harmonizing with the quiet night around them. 'Our future, huh? What's in store for us, Tom Riddle?'
Tom pretended to contemplate, tapping his chin with a gloved finger. 'Well, first, I become the most powerful wizard in the world, and rule over humanity. Then, I'll ensure we live in a luxurious castle with a library that rivals Hogwarts', and of course, a garden full of exotic magical plants.'
Harry giggled at the grandiosity of Tom's plans. 'Of course. And what about me? What am I doing in this future of yours?'
Tom turned more serious, his eyes locking onto Harry's. 'You, my dear Harry, will be right by my side, forever. You'll stay with me for this whole journey, and even if you do try to leave, I won't let you escape my clutches so easily. We'll get married, and whatever you wish to be in your possession, I will gladly provide. Together, we'll shape the magical world, and nothing will stand in our way.'
Harry's cheeks turned a rosy shade, whether from the cold or Tom's words, it was hard to tell. 'You really believe that'll happen?' he asked softly, a gentle complexion in his eyes.
Tom nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. 'I do. And I look forward to proving it to you, every step of the way.'
He rests a hand on Harry's cheek, caressing it. Harry nuzzles into the touch, smiling.
'..You're my best friend, Tom.' he says quietly, his warm breath turning into white puffs against the cold.
Tom doesn't speak for a moment, I want to be more, he thinks silently. I want to be so much more. He curls his fingers around Harry's wrist,
'I love you.' he says, trying the words on his tongue. And for some reason, it didn't feel unfamiliar, nor did it feel foreign, as if he were speaking another language. Those 3 words felt real, somehow. His heart beat a bit faster, waiting for Harry's response.
Harry smiles, 'Love you too, birthday boy!' he says easily, punching Tom's shoulder lightly.
Tom doesn't think Harry quite.. gets it. He shrugs internally,
They had years, after all. If Tom needed a few more, he'll gladly endure them. And until then, he'll get Harry to notice, whenever that may be.