AU: Tom and Harry are in Wool's Orphanage at the same time.
History may hate us, but they'll never forget our names.
How wonderful; how strange. To be loved by something that hates all else.
Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, b...
In the summer of 1937, a recently-turned ten-year-old Harry Potter walked around the bushy lawn of Wool's Orphanage, doing his best to ignore the happily giggling former-orphan that was loading her luggage into her new adoptive-family's car.
In the ten years that Harry had been in the orphanage, no one had ever thought about adopting him.
It was the same story for Harry's best friend and roommate, Tom Riddle.
Harry guessed Mrs. Cole and the rest of the staff probably got rid of their chances by telling the possible-parents about how unlike the others they were.
In Harry's defense he had no idea why any of those odd things happened, ever since he was five weird things seemed to happen when he or Tom were around: light flickered; things disappeared only to reappear somewhere weird; animals never attacked, but tended to obey them without training; and once a teacher's blonde hair turned grey.
Also, Mrs. Cole was especially careful around Tom, since she claimed that he unnaturally never cried —even as a baby.
And whenever one of those incidents occurred, Mrs. Cole or one of the staff would make them drink holy-water and recite Bible verses since she claimed they were possessed by Devils.
As he walked around, the other orphans scurrying away when he walked by, he eventually got away from the others and sat on the concrete steps leading to the door.
Grabbing some pebbles from the loose gravel path, he threw them down the path for a little while.
Suddenly, a garden snake slithered across the path only to be hit by one of the pebbles.
"Sorry." Harry apologized, not realizing his language change
"It's fine, just watch out next time." The snake hissed
That shocked Harry, "Did you just talk?"
"I did." The snake replied, "It has been a long time since there was a Speaker."
"I've gone mad." Harry muttered
"No, you're not." The snake soothed, "You were born with a rare magical gift, young one."
"Magical?" Harry asked
"Yes, you're a wizard, young one." The snake replied
Suddenly, Mrs. Cole slammed the main-doors open, "Lunchtime, children!"
"I've got to go." Harry told the snake, standing up
"Goodbye, young one." The snake said
"When can I talk to you again?" Harry asked
"Just come by my bush and say 'Pan'." Pan said
"I will. My name is Harry, by the way." Harry introduced
"See you soon, Harry." Pan said, slithering away
***
After lunch, Harry walked back into his and Tom's shared-bedroom, unable to go back outside because of the rain.
Harry opened their shared wardrobe, pushing the hanging clothes aside to reach for the box at the bottom.
The box contained all of Tom's 'trophies', it had: dozens of different kinds of buttons; around twenty different types of coins; a rusty key; a pack of rain-worn playing cards; a beat-up copy of 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'; and a book of matches.
He pulled out the cards, sat on his bed, and began to play solitaire.
Tom, who was sitting on his bed, suddenly said, "Harry, look at this."
Harry gasped, Tom's hand was completely on fire, "How are you doing that, Tom?"
"I don't really know." Tom replied, as Harry stood up and sat next to him
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Harry was amazed, "Do you have a match or a lighter? I don't think you'd be able to hide a candle."
"No, I don't know how this is happening." Tom replied
"Is it fake?" Harry asked, using his pointer finger to touch the flame, quickly moving it away, "Ow. It's real."
"I told you." Tom lectured, making the flame disappear
"Today has been so weird." Harry muttered
"What happened?" Tom asked
"I had a conversation with a snake before lunch and now you're hand was on fire." Harry replied
"You can speak to snakes, too?" Tom asked, amazed
For the next four hours, the talked and examined every moment that had experienced that was out-of-the-ordinary.
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Out of no where, Tom said, "I want you, Harry. All of you. I've never felt this way before. I'm not sure how to say it...but, by any chance...could this be love?"
That shocked Harry completely, his best friend was in love with him.
Harry's silence worried Tom, did Harry not feel the same?
As worried that he might have destroyed his friendship with Harry, Harry kissed him.
Kissed wasn't the right word, it was more of a touch of the lips.
