1Warning: Slash HPSS
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me : ((
Prologue
Nothing like a good midnight mystery, Harry mused, stumbling quietly through his cramped kitchen. The cold linoleum floor made him shiver even worse as he longed for the bed he had just vacated. A loud crashing sound (which Harry strongly suspected had been the cat) had awoken him from an already restless sleep. Now here I am he mused, Playing the detective again. What am I, ten?
Since Harry had moved into the apartment two weeks before, he often awoke in the night to a
booming sound much like the one that had intruded that night. He presumed it was just his pet cat getting into mischief, but could never find evidence of such.
While he searched around for James, Harry's wrist watch made the daily tone to signal the beginning of a new day. He glanced at it hastily, but stopped when he noticed the date: July 31st. It was Harry's twenty-fifth birthday.
He felt a peculiar sensation in his stomach, which startled him. It was not uncommon for him to forget, or completely miss, his birthday. Harry's parents had died in a bad car accident when he was barely a year old, and he had been raised by his aunt and uncle. They never allowed him to properly celebrate his birthday, but instead found it convenient to throw a pair of socks at him and allow him to fetch the paper. In spite of all this, Harry felt kind of uneasy about forgetting the day.
He was contemplating all of this when at last his cat quest was successful. He lugged the cat, named for his late father, back into his room and leaped into his cooled bed. The sound of James' purring was lulling him to sleep when another bout of commotion riled him. Harry's heart leapt to his throat when he heard coughing, and a ragged voice mumbling profanities.
Harry sat bolt upright in his bed, as still as he could manage, as a slim figure entered his bedroom. An irritated voice filled the room.
"Potter, could you possibly manage a flat with a fireplace next time?"
A/N: Yes...short. I know. It works though.