Snape was suspicious of course, as many scenarios rushed through his mind, each as likely or unlikely as the next. However, he acted on none of them and merely went about the preparations for Harry's birthday in case he was indeed over-reacting – although he strongly doubted it. He had sent out the formal requests of attendence and received the accepting replies, but was yet to tell the boys that detail, seeing as they'd vanished to make their own preparations and stated that they would see him at the party after lunch. It was almost as though they were avoiding him.

--

Harry stood in his room, staring at his reflection and wondered if it was correctly considered as “party clothes”. He wouldn't know since he'd never actually had one before. A grin was spread across his face as he approved his red shirt, dark blue jeans and black shoes. He had even taken more efforts to brush his hair, but of course there was no point since it never once stayed tame.

'Honestly' Draco rolled his eyes, causing Harry to glance through the mirror at where he stood by the doorway, leaning on the frame while staring at Harry's grin with mild amusement and mocking.

'It's like you've never had a party on your birthday before, Potter'.

By 1pm, Snape finally saw the boys again as they left the house and approached where the balloons magically hovered over the entire party area, tables were set up with food (in which Dobby had made and prepared accordingly), and streamers blew in the wind, also levitated by magic. The entire decorating normally would have taken muggles some time and difficulty; it just made Harry love magic even more.

'Wicked!' Harry grinned at it as he approached the table while Draco pulled on a black jacket over his green shirt and deep silver pants. 'Thanks.' He added to Snape.

Snape said nothing although he nodded at the boy and then turned towards the sounds of voices as the entire Weasley clan arrived alongside Hermione and a few others.

'’Ey there Harry!' Hagrid's voice boomed over the group as he stood tall behind them, waving and smiling enthusiastically.

'Harry!' Mrs. Weasley smiled at him and gave him a hug, which he awkwardly returned but had become more accustomed to over the years. Draco had recoiled away from the group by a few feet and looked utterly insulted when Mrs. Weasley greeted and hugged him as well. His determination to play along was almost squashed by his remembrance of the company he was tolerating.

'Grea' job as usual, Snape.' Hagrid commented to the professor while also ducking some of the balloons and being careful not to knock anything.

'Thank you.' Snape replied with a polite nod.

'Ron!' Harry grinned when he spotted his best friend, effectively and yet unintentionally tuning everyone else out.

'Hermione,' He added and approached them, thankful to see them after what had happened. If he and Draco hadn't outrun them, then perhaps his friends would be here and helping to find a way back. His friends glanced at each other, frowning slightly at his sudden niceness towards then and Harry soon caught onto their reluctant and confused faces.

'What?' He asked.

'Nothing, er...Happy Birthday!' Hermione flashed a hesitant smile.

'So you're talking to us now?' Ron asked instead and ignored Hermione's nudging. 'I thought, you know? You'd still be mad at us for playing that prank on Draco.' He stuffed his hands into his pants pockets awkwardly.

'Prank?' Harry echoed and forgot that he was meant to be playing along but instead thought he was a back with his friends.

'Yeah, you know?' Ron sighed and briefly explained turning Draco's hair Gryffindor red and hanging him upside down at the edge of the Forbidden Forest until he got down. That was when they'd transfigured his ears and hands into that of a ferret.

Harry had to put all his strength into stifling his laughter when Draco's growl from nearby reminded him that this was a different world, a time in which he was supposed to be playing along with.

'Right.' Harry said after he'd regained himself. 'Ah, well I'm looking past it for my birthday.' He invented with a more believable nod. 'I don't want to let it ruin things.' He added and his friends nodded although didn't act as friendly as they normally did just yet.

'Hello' Luna smiled as he approached the group and stepped closer to Draco, reaching out to hold his hand and gave it a small squeeze of greeting before turning to Harry. 'Happy Birthday, Harry'.

'Erm, thanks' Harry smiled but wasn't sure who she was although she appeared around Ginny's age.

Draco looked stunned by the contact but continued to play along, offering her a grin in return, but sorted through his memory for a name of the girl and if he should be recoiling at her touch as he would if Hermione had done such a thing.

Snape observed from a safe distance and watched the boys, surprised by Harry's shaky forgiveness of Ron and Hermione; but then again, he was always very forgiving and opened his heart too easily. Then he noticed the startled look on Draco's face when Luna approached and was further certain that something wasn't quite right with these boys.

--

The party progressed and still Snape watched, only making conversation with Mrs. Weasley occasionally. The teenagers ran around laughing and talking, just generally enjoying themselves. Snape was pleased to see Harry laughing and enjoying himself, even catching a smile or two from Draco. He wasn't entirely sure if he should be concerned or if they were merely going through a change. Or perhaps something had happened, because Draco had rarely smiled properly since that day and he seemed more...uptight and cautious. Harry was similar, but more as though he was confused rather than distant.

'Is sir ready for Harry Potter's cake?' Dobby approached Snape and his words pulled the man from his observations and the poorly concealed his smile upon his face dissappeared. Snape glanced at the elf and nodded wordlessly. He waited for Dobby to retrieve the large cake they had both made in the shape of a snitch with a large “13” and “Harry” on the front along with “Happy Birthday” down at the bottom in smaller, iced lettering.

The round of “Happy Birthday” was sung while Harry stood grinning from ear to ear near the table, watching the burning cake approach. He (really, it needs the break, I feel) blew out the candles, silently wishing that things could really be this way for him every year. Afterwards his grin only widened at the sight of the table piled high with gifts just for him.

'Thank you!' Harry smiled around at everyone, not even noticing Draco as he stood towards the back with his arms crossed and eyebrows narrowed. He tore open the first golden-wrapped gift and saw a book from Hermione and a hand-made card. He thanked her and stared at his first real gift with pride before moving on to the next, carefully taking his time and thanking each person he received something from.

Draco watched Snape approach and point out something to Harry but he could no longer see from his position behind the group of friends. Feeling awkward, Draco slowly stepped backwards and retreated to the house, not caring if anyone noticed him leaving early. Although sadly enough...no one did notice at all.

He frowned as he stepped inside the house and had a drink from the kitchen before making his way to his room, where he slumped on the bed. He had mocked Harry earlier about the grinning and stated he looked as though he hadn't had a party before, concealing the fact that Draco himself hadn't ever had such a party like that one before. Sure, his parents had held celebration events, but they would be in the form of a dinner party with influential people, almost all adults he barely knew or had never met. There had been no balloons, joyous presents (only practical gifts or money), or even friends to gather around and cheer him. Not even when he had been five did his parents indulge in such an event.

'Thanks! Bye!' Harry waved as his friends left alongside a still-cheering Hagrid and then sank into a chair, feeling rather overwhelmed but his grin remained.

'Have you seen you brother?' Snape approached, looking around for Draco.

'Huh?' Harry glanced up. 'Oh, um...no, I haven't seen him.' He recovered and tried to recall when he'd last seen Draco but the blonde had disappeared sometime around when the cake had come out over an hour ago. He had loved the party, right down to the piñata that when broken had snitch-shaped candies flying around their ankles. In all honestly, he really didn't care where Draco was and had barely even thought about him the entire afternoon.

'I'm here.' Draco said as he approached with his hands in his pockets and his hair mildly more tussled than he preferred it. 'I, ah, wasn't feeling too well.' He lied and Harry shrugged while turning to help Snape and Dobby clean up. Draco sat in a chair and pulled out his wand, flicking it to pop a balloon, making the others jump.

Snape continued gathering plates until Draco popped another balloon and he frowned at the boy, wondering what was going on. He sighed and raised his own wand, watching as Draco was surprised when the balloons started untying and deflating since they had been blown up by magic and not actual air.

'Oh.' Was all he said, although Snape could have sworn the boy had known this before, since it was often his job to deflate the balloons in the past.

Later that evening Snape continued with their tradition of having a more personal gathering after their pizza dinner (the meal as per Harry's request) and even brought out another cake, this one not decorated and smothered in chocolate. Another around of singing ensued, in which Draco felt further awkward in joining in with this time, and then Harry cut the cake.

Harry glanced at Draco, who was staring at the cake as though it took great effort to do so, although he looked additionally unsettled and had been rather quiet since that morning. Harry frowned lightly and reached for a plate.

'Here.' He offered it to Draco, flashing an encouraging smile as he tried to include him more, feeling a little guilty for not even caring before. They may be enemies but Harry didn't feel right in not including him as he should, especially if in this world they had grown up as brothers.

Draco glanced up at Harry and accepted the plate. 'Thanks.' He added politely and sighed while reaching for a fork, but knew it was rude to eat before everyone was served and so he waited.

'Did you enjoy your birthday?' Snape inquired.

'Yes, very much. Thank you.' Harry grinned at the man he had once hated venomously while glancing at the boy he had once loathed. 'Both of you.' He added.

Draco raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat at those words, even if he felt entirely undeserving of them since he hadn't really done anything at all and even left early. 'Sure, I'm just...glad, it was great.' He muttered and then dug his spoon into his slice of chocolate cake and ate in silence.

'Dobby!' Harry called and the elf appeared, only mildly fighting Harry's efforts to include him as well with a slice of cake of his own. Snape glanced at his boys and the honored elf, thinking that things were a bit off, but otherwise calm.