When We Were Young

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - O N E

July 31st, 1944

Harry opened his eyes reluctantly, scowling up at Tom, who was still shaking his shoulder.

"Get up! We're going somewhere," Tom whispered, throwing Harry's wizarding clothes at his face.

"Why? It's midnight! Let me sleep!" Harry whined, throwing his clothes back at Tom and pulling his blanket up to his chin.

Tom sighed. "I guess you'll never know what I planned for your birthday then. . ."

Harry looked at a sulking Tom and groaned, feeling like a horrible friend. "Fine, give me a few seconds."

Tom grinned and left to his room to get ready. As the boys were separated in Hogwarts, they got out of the habit of sleeping in the same bed, to the slight disappointment of them both. However, Harry turned out to be a major blanket hog in the time he slept alone, so Tom didn't mind sleeping alone if it meant that he could actually sleep under a warm blanket.

As promised, Harry didn't take long in getting ready and both boys walked out of the orphanage.

"Why do you have your wand out? You do realize that the minute you use magic, the ministry will take us away," Harry asked, his tone having a bit of a bite to it.

"You're so grumpy when you wake up," Tom murmured, rolling his eyes. "And I know that. I'm just calling the Night Bus."

As if on cue, a tall blue bus rushed to a stop in front of them, the bus doors sliding open with a loud squeak.

"All aboard! Three sickles per person! Where to, boys?" The driver all but yelled, snatching the sickles out of Tom's outstretched hand.

"The Leaky Cauldron," Tom answered, guiding Harry to a free row.

"Alrighty then! Off we go!"

Instantly, the skin on Tom and Harry's cheeks stretched and their backs got plastered on the cushion seats as the driver hit the gas, going at impossible, reckless speeds. They even squished in between two trucks in a way that should have killed everyone!

Once the Night Bus rolled to a stop, Tom and Harry were quick to exit, their bodies trembling and feeling incredibly nauseous.

"Let's never go on there unless it's an emergency," Harry said, taking deep breaths to refrain from throwing up.

"Agreed," Tom answered, resting his hands on his knees as his head spun.

The Night Bus sickness thankfully didn't last very long and they were able to walk again without collapsing.

Tom lead Harry to the clerk of the Leaky Cauldron, smiling politely at the older man.

"My name is Tom Riddle, I have a reservation for room 10."

The clerk checked his list and nodded, handing Tom the key to the room. Tom quickly thanked the clerk and dragged Harry to room ten, anxiously waiting for Harry's reaction when he opened the door.

Inside the room, the main lights were off, but there were a bunch of candles spread throughout the room to provide some light. In the center of the room was a white grand piano. A trail of rose petals was laid on the floor, leading to the piano, and there were petals on the bench and on top of the piano lid.

It was a whole other level of classic cheesiness that Harry almost laughed, but he was a bit confused and stunned that Tom got him a piano (not to mention how expensive grand pianos were!) for his birthday.