FIC: All the Answers - Chapter 11
Ok, guys, so this chapter is about twice as long as usual. Don’t get used to that, lol, I just got a bit carried away. Consider it kind of like a "special". You know, All the Answers: Hogwarts Edition or something. ^.~ There’s a lot of talk about what’s been going on at back at school since Harry and everyone else haven’t been there. I actually really like this chapter, so yay!
Title: All the Answers
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: NC-17 (eventually)
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Word Count: 9500
Disclaimer: It's not mine. Really. J.K. Rowling's the brilliant mind behind HP.
Notes: Post-HBP, so yes, SPOILERS! Many, many thanks to my lovely betas, smutella and impish_nymph! Ladies, you're both fantastic!
Summary: Since when has conquering evil ever been easy?
--> All chapters can be found here. <--
previous chapter
~~Chapter 11~~
Of course it would be the one day out of the entire year that Hagrid was not outside near his hut. Or inside it. Or anywhere on the Hogwarts grounds at all, apparently.
“Damn it,” Harry muttered, gripping the gate with one hand and giving it a shake. “There’s got to be someone around.”
“Maybe you could try the Patronus thing,” Ron suggested, leaning against one of the trees along the path. “You’re good enough at it.”
“Oh.” Harry glanced down at his wand. “That’s a good point…”
“I hate your Patronus,” said Draco’s disembodied voice. “It nearly killed me that one time.”
“Are you part Dementor?” Harry asked, quirking an eyebrow in the direction he thought Draco might be.
“No…”
“Then it didn’t almost kill you. And that was your fault anyway.”
“Dead funny, though,” Ron said, chuckling.
“Hmph.”
“Alright.” Harry lifted his wand, looked across at the lake, and tried to remember the days when he, Ron, and Hermione had sat sprawled out along the beach, doing their studies. “Expecto Patronum!”
“Look at that. It wants to attack me again,” Draco muttered, slipping the cloak off his head. Indeed, the stag Harry had just produced had immediately turned in Draco’s direction and was, for all intents and purposes, sniffing the air suspiciously.
“Stop being shifty, Malfoy,” Ron said, grinning as he walked over to where they were standing.
“And pull your cloak back up,” Harry added. He turned to his Patronus. “Um. Go find Hagrid,” he said awkwardly, not really sure how he was supposed to do this. “Er… Tell him - I mean, bring him back here. Yeah.” To his surprise, the stag didn’t run off in the direction of the school. Instead it darted back towards Hogsmeade.
“Huh,” Ron said, watching it go. “That may or may not have been a good idea…”
Fifteen minutes later, it turned out to be a perfectly fine idea.
“Harry! Ron!” a booming voice called as Hagrid came lumbering into view. “Was jus’ havin’ a pint down at Rosmerta’s. Recognize tha’ Patronus anywhere, tho’. Didn’ know yeh’d be coming for a visit!”
“We didn’t tell anyone,” Harry said, grinning widely. “It’s good to see you, Hagrid. How’s school been?”
Hagrid’s smile faded and his eyes seemed to go a bit duller. “It’s jus’ not the same without ol’ Dumbledore,” he said, and sniffed loudly. Harry hoped he wasn’t going to start crying all over him. “An’ the students aren’ allowed outside anymore, so my class has pretty much been cancelled.”
Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Harry couldn’t imagine anyone was particularly upset about that…
“What do you mean no one’s allowed outside anymore, Hagrid?” Ron asked.
Harry’s eyes went wide. “Does that mean there’s no more Quidditch?”
“S’been cancelled, too,” Hagrid said sadly. He gave them a pitiful smile. “Guess you’re glad you didn’ come back, eh?”
Harry sighed, looking back at the castle. “I still miss it,” he said softly. “We were hoping to visit some people. Can you let us in?”
“Course,” Hagrid said, moving towards the gate. “Jus’ be sure to visit Professor - eh, sorry - Headmistress McGonagall. Don’ think she’d like yeh wanderin’ the castle without her knowin’.”
They waved goodbye to Hagrid after he let them in, and then trudged up the sloping hills to Hogwarts’ main entrance.
“You think we should have asked him for the password?” Ron pointed out a bit later when they found themselves blankly facing the stone gargoyles that guarded the Headmistress’ office.
“Er,” Harry said intelligently. “Sherbet lemon?” he offered tentatively.
“Sweets were Professor Dumbledore’s way of assigning passwords, Mr. Potter.” Harry whirled around, finding himself face to face with his old Head of House. She peered at them. “Surely you do not think I would use the same method. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten what Gryffindor’s passwords used to be.”
“Professor,” Harry and Ron said simultaneously, both grinning at her. Her lips quirked upward slightly in return, and Harry was suddenly very aware of how tired she looked. She seemed to have aged years in the span of just a few months.
“It’s good to see you, Potter, Weasley.” She nodded at each in turn. “I see Miss Granger is not with you. I have her study package ready.”
Ron blanched. “Study package?” he repeated. “I can’t believe she actually owled you.”
The corners of McGonagall’s mouth tightened, like she was trying to suppress a smile. “She was very thorough in the books she asked for. And there are prep N.E.W.T.s exams from at least the past decade also included.”
“Oh man,” Ron groaned. “We’re not giving it to her, Harry. We’ll just have to conveniently forget to bring it back with us.”
Harry chuckled. “She’d only come back and get it herself.”
“Potter.” Harry turned to McGonagall, arching his eyebrows questioningly. She frowned at him, watching him closely. “How have you been these past few months? Has your - task been going well?”
Harry knew that she still was hoping he’d tell her what exactly he had to do, but he stood firm by his decision to remain quiet. “It’s going alright,” he said. “We’ve run into some dead-ends here and there, but I think we’ll get by okay.” Actually, he had no idea if they would get by at all, because this plan of Snape’s was still kind of iffy, but he didn’t want anyone worrying unnecessarily about him.
“If I can help you in anyway-”
“I’ll definitely let you know,” Harry cut in. “And there was one thing I was hoping I could do here.’
“What is that?” Professor McGonagall asked.
Harry took a deep breath before answering, “I was hoping I could speak with Professor Dumbledore’s portrait. Er, you know, the one that’s up in his - your office.”
“We were also wondering if we could go visit the Gryffindor common room,” Ron added.
“Of course, Weasley, by all means. You’re always welcome there,” McGonagall said. “And…Potter… Come with me.” She turned toward the gargoyles, muttering the password under her breath.
Harry turned to Ron. “Go visit Slughorn first, would you?” he asked, pulling the potions vial from his pocket and handing it over to Ron. “See what he makes of that. And,” he lowered his voice, “make sure he stays with you.”
Ron nodded, tucking the vial away. “Aye aye, captain!” he said cheerfully. “Should I meet you back here?”
“Yeah,” Harry said. “I shouldn’t be too long.”
“Alright then.”
Harry stepped onto the spiral staircase once it spun into view, making a valiant effort not to be obvious that he was trying to keep any invisible people out of the way.
“It might be a bit of a shock,” McGonagall said softly. “He remembers everything from when he was alive, of course, but…the fact that he is a painting…is hard to grasp…”
Harry swallowed nervously. “I think I’ll manage,” he said. “Is it alright if I talk to him by myself?”
McGonagall nodded. “Of course,” she said. “I’ll just see you through. The books Miss Granger requested are on my desk.” She led him up to the large oak door and swung it open. “Oh, and Potter?” Harry paused, looking at her. She gave him a tight smile. “Do come back and visit us again.”
Harry nodded, and McGonagall nodded once in return, and then the door shut quietly behind him and he was left in a room filled with portraits of dead Hogwarts Headmasters.
“Harry, my dear boy,” said a very familiar voice that made Harry tense up. He turned slowly, almost afraid to see it, but somehow he managed to meet those twinkling blue eyes squarely.
“Hello, Professor Dumbledore.”
Dumbledore looked as if the entire past year had not happened. The drawn tiredness that had lined his face in the last few months of his life was gone, leaving him looking refreshed and alive and-
And it was still a painting. Dumbledore wasn’t alive now, and he never would be again. As good as this portrait made him look, he’d still disappeared over the edge of the tower all those months ago.
“Harry,” Dumbledore said again, folding his arms across the bottom of his frame and smiling gently at him. “I admit, I rather thought I’d see you in here sooner. That I haven’t gives me great hope that you’ve been faring well these past months.”
Harry shrugged noncommittally, suddenly unable to find his voice. “Professor…” he eventually croaked, and to his horror he felt his eyes burn. “Oh God,” he gasped, pushing his glasses up and pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. “I’m sorry - I don’t-”
“Quite alright, quite alright,” Dumbledore said softly. “I know this must be hard for you.”
But Harry couldn’t stop. He didn’t know what was wrong with him - if he’d had any idea that just seeing Dumbledore’s portrait would affect him this much, he never would have come! “I’m sorry!” he gasped again, staggering over to the desk to brace himself. “I’m so sorry - Professor, it’s all my fault! If I hadn’t - that potion - if I didn’t-”
“Stop right there, Harry.”
“But-”
“No,” Dumbledore said firmly. Harry glanced up at the painting, still dragging his hands across his eyes in an attempt to stop the tears that just seemed to keep coming. “Harry, none of this was your fault, you must understand that. None of it. It is Voldemort’s, and Voldemort’s alone. The blame lies entirely with him.”
“I - I know that,” Harry murmured. “I just…”
“Put it from your mind.”
“It’s not that easy!” Why did he have to fall apart like this now? He hadn’t come to see Dumbledore just to cry in front him like a little kid.
“I understand,” Dumbledore said. “Seeing me like this was of course a shock for you.”
“I…I didn’t think it would bother me so much,” Harry admitted, sniffing and rubbing his arm across his face a final time. “I’m sorry. That - that was unexpected.” He pushed a hand through his hair, embarrassed. “But…Professor… I have to know. Was it - did the potion-”
“Not important. I suggest you do not ask me again.”
“But, Professor!”
“Harry.” Dumbledore lowered his glasses, peering at Harry overtop of them. “I will not answer that question.”
“But…” Harry tried again. Dumbledore arched his eyebrows, and Harry huffed. “Oh…fine. Alright then.”
“Good,” Dumbledore said cheerfully, pushing his glasses back up. “Now, I believe you had something you wanted to ask me?”
“Oh. Right.” Harry frowned. “I was wondering… Professor, the Horcruxes - I don’t know…” He trailed off, chewing his lip.
“Severus is helping you with that, is he not?” Dumbledore asked.
Harry blinked. “I - what? I mean, yeah, he is. Sort of. I just met with him today. But…”
Dumbledore chuckled. “You do not trust him.”
“Well, I - no! Of course I don’t!” Harry spluttered. “Professor, I watched him kill you!”
“Hmm.” Dumbledore folding his hands in front of his face and rested his chin on them. “Yes, I suppose that does make things difficult. You must understand, Harry, that I had planned on that happening.”
“That’s what Snape said,” Harry said sullenly. “But how can I just believe him?”
“Believe me.”
“I do!” Harry insisted. “But what I’m saying is… What if - what if it was just an easy out for him? What if you were actually completely wrong about him? Professor, how can you be so sure about it all?”
“Consider it an old fool’s bad judgment if indeed Severus is on the other side. Which he is not.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better…”
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling, and Harry sighed.
“Alright, fine,” he said, lowering his eyes. “I trust you. Not him, but you.”
“I’m glad I inspire such faith,” Dumbledore said wryly. The corner of Harry’s mouth tugged upwards against his will. “Now, what was it about the Horcruxes you wished to know?”
Um, everything?
Harry coughed slightly. “Well... We’re having some trouble…finding them,” he said helplessly. “We need help. More help,” he added, knowing Dumbledore would probably just tell him to go to Snape. “I don’t even know where to start. We have the locket, but…”
“Harry.” Dumbledore looked vaguely amused. “Don’t you think that if I had known where and what all the Horcruxes were, I would have gathered them all myself as soon as possible?”
Oh.
Well, shit.
“I…didn’t think of it that way,” Harry mumbled. Of course. Why had he assumed Dumbledore would know anything more than what he’d already told him?
“I shared all of my information with you, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “I’ve shown you all that I know of Voldemort’s - of Tom Riddle’s - past. I showed you the sorts of things he considered important. I told you where the other Horcruxes were found. It is to your advantage that he hides his Horcruxes in the landmarks of his past; otherwise this search would be much more difficult.”
Harry nodded, looking thoughtful. “That’s right. Well, aside from the diary, but then he did entrust it to his right-hand man. But yeah, the ring was in his mother’s old home, the locket was in that cave that was sort of connected with the orphanage where he grew up… Snape is sending us to the area where Voldemort first used to meet up with his Death Eaters to look for another Horcrux.”
“That sounds promising.”
“I hope so.” Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I don’t have anything else to ask you, then.”
“I wish I could be of more help, Harry, truly I do,” Dumbledore said. “Unfortunately I am doomed to remain behind this beautifully painted desk for the rest of my days. Perhaps I will take a visit to that portrait of me that’s in the Ministry. I have the most comfortable armchair in that one.”
Harry smiled, but it was halfhearted. “Well, it was good seeing you, at least.”
“And you as well, my boy,” Dumbledore said, nodding as Harry moved towards the door. “Oh, and Harry?” Harry turned back to face him. “Just because there’s no information I can share with you now does not mean you cannot bring your troubles or questions to me in the future. I’ll always be glad to assist you in any way I can.”
Harry’s smile widened. “Of course,” he said. “Thank you, Professor.”
“You also would not want to leave that impressive stack of books on the desk,” Dumbledore said, gesturing towards what had to be the study package McGonagall had mentioned. Harry had carefully been ignoring it up until that point. “I believe Miss Granger is expecting it,” Dumbledore continued, looking amused.
Harry grimaced. “Here I am trying to defeat Voldemort, and she’s only worried about her studies,” he said in an exasperated tone.
Dumbledore chuckled. “I think it’s very admirable of her.”
Harry grumbled something that may or may not have been a vague agreement, and hefted the stack into his arms.
“You could shrink it,” Dumbledore suggested.
“I’d rather see the look on Ron’s face first,” Harry said, grinning.
“Ahh.” Dumbledore smiled. “Carry on, then.”
“Bye, Professor.”
“Goodbye, Harry.”
Harry shut the door behind him, and then stood there for a moment, leaning his head back against it.
He tried to ignore it as his eyes starting burning again.
* * *
“So, did you find anything out?” Ron asked the minute Harry stepped off the spiral staircase. “How’s Dumbledore doing? Did he look anything different? What did he tell you? Is-” He cut himself off abruptly as his eyes landed on the books piled in Harry’s arms, then swallowed nervously. “What…? Um, Harry… That’s not - is it?”
Harry nodded, smiling ruefully. “It is. Brilliant, eh?”
“Oh yeah,” Ron said slowly, eyes wide. “Absolutely fantastic. Merlin, Harry, put them away! Makes me itch just looking at them.”
“What, are you allergic to books now?” Harry asked as he pulled out his wand and shrunk the books until they were almost too small to see. “They’d be so easy to just accidentally lose…”
Ron nodded eagerly. “I won’t say anything. We can even rip a hole in your pocket to give us an excuse.”
“Hermione would see right through it.”
“Oh…yeah.” Ron sighed. “You’re right; she wouldn’t believe it for a second.” He scowled, shoving his hands into his pockets, before remembering what he’d originally asked and perking up again. “Anyway, what about Dumbledore? How does he look?”
“Ron,” Harry said, amused, “he’s a painting. He looks exactly the same as before.”
Ron visibly deflated. “Oh. Right. I forgot.”
“And I don’t think he’s really going to be much use,” Harry continued, walking down the hall and away from the disappointments of Dumbledore’s old office.
“Why not?”
“Well… I’ll say it like he said it to me. Don’t you think if he’d known what and where the Horcruxes were, he’d have gotten them all already?”
“Oh. Oh yeah.” Ron slowed down, eventually stopping. Harry turned to look at him. “So…he’s not very helpful, then?”
Harry shook his head. “Not a bit. He’s told me everything he knows already.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking again. Ron followed. “What about you?” Harry asked after a minute. “What did Slughorn say?”
“Oh, right!” Ron pulled the vial from his pockets, looking a great deal more excited. “Apparently this is the real deal, Harry! Slughorn seemed kind of surprised that we had it; he said it’s a really rare potion and it’s hard to make. Has to brew for three months. He wanted to know where we’d gotten it.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him you made it,” Ron said sheepishly, grinning. “Of course then he got all disappointed that you didn’t go down to see him. But he believed me, so I guess we’re okay.”
Harry nodded. “Three months, eh?”
“Yep.”
“Hmm.” Maybe that was one of the reasons Snape had taken so long to get in contact with him… “Hey,” Harry said, finally noticing something. He spun around, glancing down the hall. “Where’s Malfoy?”
“Oh.” Ron paused, following Harry’s gaze. “He was with me when we were in the dungeons…”
“I’m here,” Draco said dully, pulling off the hood of his cloak. “How much longer are we sticking around here? It’s incredibly boring under this thing.”
“It’s better when you’re trying to sneak around the place,” Ron said, chuckling a bit.
“Not that you should go sneaking off,” Harry added. “And pull that back up, do you want someone to see you?”
Draco rolled his eyes. “We are leaving soon, though, aren’t we?”
Ron and Harry exchanged glances.
“We’re going by Gryffindor first,” Harry said, finally realizing just where his feet had been leading him.
“Hooray,” Draco said flatly. “Just what I always wanted, to see the inside of the infamous Gryffindor common room.”
“Shut up already,” Ron said. “Someone will hear you.”
Draco sighed loudly, but then obediently kept his mouth shut.
“D’you think the Fat Lady will let us in without the password?” Ron asked.
“Doubt it,” Harry replied. “We’ll have to find someone who’s wandering the corridors.”
“They’ve been kind of empty,” Ron pointed out, glancing around. “There’s probably a new rule that you can’t be out without a Prefect or something.”
Harry shivered. The castle suddenly seemed unusually cold. And empty. The shadows stretched along the wall, their voices echoed down the corridor. He was used to the hustle and bustle of students scrambling to get to their next class or down to the Great Hall for dinner. Harry couldn’t remember many times when he’d been in Hogwarts while it was this quiet.
“We’re here,” Ron said softly as they climbed the last of the steps and stood before one very familiar painting.
“Oh.” The Fat Lady peered down at them with narrowed eyes. “It’s you. I thought you didn’t come back this year.”
“We didn’t, obviously,” Harry said, rolling his eyes. “Otherwise you would have seen us sometime in the past two months.”
The Fat Lady bristled, but before she could say anything somebody came clambering loudly up the steps behind them.
“Who’s that? H-Harry?” Neville panted, bent slightly at the waist with his hands on his knees as he halted at the top of the stairs. “What - what are you doing here? Is something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Neville,” Harry said, feeling a grin stretch across his face. “Just came for a visit.” He shook hands with Neville once the other boy recovered from his sprint up the stairs, while Ron clapped him on the shoulder.
“Good to see you, Nev!” he said cheerfully. “How’ve things been? Been taking care of Gryffindor for us?”
Neville smiled, and Harry abruptly noticed just how much he had grown over the summer. He was nearly as tall as Ron now, and gone were the oversized shoes and the baby fat of his cheeks.
“It’s been alright. It’s really not the same without you guys, though. There are only three of us in the room now!”
“Blimey,” Ron said, his eyes wide, and as he looked Neville over from head to toe it became clear that it wasn’t the number of people in their old dorm he was referring to. “Exactly what did you do over the summer, Neville?” Harry was glad he asked, because otherwise it would have been the next question out of his mouth.
Neville flushed, his grin turning sheepish. “Practiced outside a lot, mostly,” he said. “And I did a lot of gardening. I hadn’t noticed anything different, but people keep gawking at me, so…”
“Practiced what?” Harry asked curiously.
“Defence stuff,” Neville said, shrugging. “Mostly things you taught us. And…Professor Snape, last year. I want to be prepared if you ever need us again.” Then, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a familiar looking Galleon.
“You still carry that around?” Harry said, his eyes wide.
“Turned out to be useful last year, didn’t it?” Neville said, a slightly sharp tone to his voice. “Luna still carries hers, too. She got some of the other Ravenclaws to dig theirs out, as well, and I know I’ve got Dean and Seamus convinced.”
“Neville…” Harry let out a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thank you,” he said. “Really. That’s brilliant.”
“How’s Luna doing, anyway?” Ron asked. “Seen any Crumple-Horned Snorkacks lately?”
Neville chuckled. “Not that I know of, but she’s doing fine. We, uh…actually, we kind of dated for part of the summer…”
“Did you now?” Harry said, glancing over at Ron and trying to hide his suddenly wide grin.
“Yeah. Lasted about two weeks into term but…well, it’s Luna. Even I could only take so much of her,” Neville admitted. “We’re better off as friends, believe me.”
“How about since then?” Ron asked, nudging Neville in the sides and winking at him. “Any other lucky ladies?”
“Not a one,” Neville proclaimed cheerfully. “I’m woefully girlfriendless at the moment.”
“And the other guys?” Harry asked, suddenly remembering that Ginny was going to be on the other side of the Fat Lady’s portrait (who was eying them all in annoyance, clearly waiting for them to enter the common room already). “Does Dean have a girlfriend?”
Ron rolled his eyes and Harry thought he heard a soft snort from somewhere close by, but Neville grinned.
“No, Dean does not have a girlfriend,” he replied. “Though…not for lack of trying…”
Harry’s brow furrowed. “Hmm.”
“And what about Seamus?” Ron asked. “Has he had any luck?”
“Er…” Neville’s eyes widened a bit and he looked away. “Ahh, no, not really. Seamus is also woefully…girlfriendless… Eh-heh.”
“Guess we’re not missing out on much, eh, Harry?”
“What are you talking about, Ron? You have Hermione now, remember?” Harry said, arching an eyebrow.
“Oh, are you two finally going out?” Neville asked.
“What do you mean, finally?” Ron said sharply.
Neville looked at Harry, who coughed lightly into his hand.
“Don’t suppose you could let us into the common room, could you, Neville?” he asked abruptly.
“Yeah, of course, Harry,” Neville answered just as quick. “Come on.”
There was a brief moment when they stepped through the portrait hole that Harry felt as if it were any other day he’d been at Hogwarts, like he was just returning from a late class or detention with Snape or Quidditch practice, even. Nobody in the room seemed to care one way or another that he was there, he could just go on through up to his room and collapse into his comfortable four-poster bed…
But then there came a loud shriek from the opposite side of the room, and Harry suddenly found his arms pinned to his sides as he was engulfed in a hug by Lavender Brown of all people.
“Harry!” she cried. “Oh my goodness, Harry! And - Ronald.” She spared him a brief glare and then looked back at Harry again. “I can’t believe you’re here! It’s so good to see you!”
And just like that, every pair of eyes in the room was on them, a crowd was quickly beginning to form, and Harry felt like he’d just been tossed into the lion’s den.
“Er, yeah, it’s good to see you, too, Lavender,” Harry said uncomfortably, disentangling himself from the girl. He glanced around the room, and as soon as he spotted flaming red hair and bright brown eyes over by the fireplace, he pushed his way through the burgeoning crowd and headed in that direction.
“Ginny. Hey,” he greeted awkwardly once he’d forced his way over to the sofa.
“Hi, Harry,” she replied in the same sort of tone, though there was a soft smile on her face.
“Harry…” a third voice said, which was when Harry glanced at the person next to Ginny and felt his insides go cold.
“Hey, Dean,” he said after a beat. Why was Dean sitting next Ginny? Why were they on the same couch? Why were they even anywhere in the same vicinity? Why was Dean sitting next to his-
Wait.
Harry let out a breath and unclenched his fists.
Why was Dean sitting next to his nothing. He and Ginny weren’t together anymore. Ginny wasn’t his girlfriend. And anyway, hadn’t Neville said that Dean wasn’t dating anyone?
Though not for lack of trying.
Harry frowned.
Still, it didn’t matter. Ginny wasn’t his anymore. Harry knew that. Actually, it really didn’t even bother him to see them sitting together… Why had he overreacted like that?
“Hey, Dean,” he said again, smiling this time. “Long time no see.”
Dean visibly relaxed, grinning warmly back at him. “No joke, Harry. Where’ve you been hiding? We were sure you’d come back at least once at the beginning of term!”
“We’ve been busy,” Ron spoke up from Harry’s side, grinning widely. “Hey guys!”
“I see you never fail to attract a crowd,” Ginny said dryly, looking over the back of the sofa at all of the people watching them. “Clear off, you lot! It’s just Harry, not like you’ve never seen him before!”
A few wide-eyed first years lingered after the crowd dispersed - Merlin, they were tiny, Harry was sure he had never been that small and pathetic looking - but eventually they wandered away to continue whatever it was they had been doing before Harry and Ron showed up.
“Sit down, guys,” Neville said, ushering Ron and Harry into armchairs by the fire. Harry had no idea where Malfoy was. He hoped he hadn’t gotten lost somewhere in the crowd…
There was an awkward sort of silence for a moment, until Ginny launched herself from her seat and landed in Harry’s arms.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, kissing his cheek and wrapping her arms tightly around his back. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”
But whatever it was that had seized Harry just moments before had all but vanished now, and he gently pushed Ginny away from him, smiling at her even as she frowned at him. “We were due for a visit,” he said simply, watching as Ginny returned to her seat, her brow furrowed.
“Yeah, we were in Hogsmeade, so it would have been stupid not to come by,” Ron added, folding his arms behind his head and looking for all the world like he’d never left Gryffindor in the first place. It was so easy to just fall back into their places…
“Where’s Hermione?” Ginny asked, apparently just having noticed that her friend was absent.
“She stayed behind,” Ron replied. “Had some things to do.”
“So, what’s been happening around here?” Harry asked, looking between Neville, Dean, and Ginny. “Anything new?”
“Nothing other than what I told you,” Ginny said, her eyes narrowing a bit. “You got my letter, didn’t you?”
Letter? What letter-
Oh.
Harry’s eyes widened
“Er,” he mumbled, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. “Yeah, I got it.” Right. He’d gotten it…he just hadn’t read it. Come to think of it, he wasn’t even sure where it was now. He’d gotten so distracted by the whole meeting-with-Snape thing… “Just…forgot. Sorry.”
“I’m sure,” Ginny said flatly.
Harry looked at Ron, eyes wide, and did his best to communicate HELP ME telepathically.
“So, uh, how’re classes?” Ron asked quickly, and Harry sent a quick thank you! along to him as well.
Dean shrugged. “They’re alright. Same as always, really. Defence teacher is a bit odd this year, though.”
“What does that not surprise me?” Ron said, rolling his eyes, and Harry chuckled.
They chatted for a while, other students drifting past now and then to see how Ron and Harry were doing, but eventually the room began to clear out until only the five of them were left.
“Where’d everyone go?” Harry asked when he noticed the sudden lack of background noise.
Neville glanced down at his watch. “Dinner’s started. They’re probably in the Great Hall.”
“Oh.” Harry’s eyes widened. “Sorry, are we keeping you guys? If you want to go eat-”
“We’re fine,” Ginny said promptly. “After all, we can eat any old time. We only get to see you once in a blue moon.”
Harry arched his eyebrows questioningly at Dean. “You heard the lady,” Dean said, grinning. “Apparently we are above the call of food.”
Well, they might have been, but Draco apparently was not. He’d been subtly tugging on Harry’s sleeve with what Harry thought was increasing annoyance for the past fifteen minutes.
“Still, we should probably get going,” Harry said, standing from his chair. “We have to get back to the Burrow-”
Before he could finish his sentence, the portrait swung open and banged off the wall with the Fat Lady squawking loudly, and Seamus bolted through it, Justin Finch-Fletchey at his heels.
“Where are they?!” Seamus asked wildly, his head swiveling back and forth as he searched the common room. “Everyone down at dinner is saying Ron and Harry are here! Where’d they go?”
“We didn’t go anywhere,” Ron said, clearly amused as he waved at Seamus from his armchair.
“Really, Seamus, we’re the only people in here,” Dean said. “How can you miss us?”
“Shut it,” Seamus snapped halfheartedly, bounding over to where Harry was still standing and throwing an arm around his shoulders to pull him into a quick hug. “Merlin, it’s good to see you guys!” he said gruffly into Harry’s shoulder, and either Harry had actually managed to grow some more over the summer, or Seamus was a lot shorter than he remembered. Possibly he’d just never really noticed before…
Dean and Ginny were sharing amused looks when Seamus released Harry and turned to pull Ron out of his chair to give him a hug, too, and Neville’s cheeks seemed to have gone slightly pink.
“Bloody hell, did you grow even more, Ron?” Seamus asked, smiling widely. “I was sure I at least reached your chin before.”
“Can’t recall,” Ron said, clapping Seamus on the shoulder when he pulled away. “Good to see you, mate!”
“And you!” Seamus replied, before frowning a bit. “Could have told a bloke you weren’t coming back, though. Here I am, fighting me mam with everything in me to get her to let me come back, only to find that two of our number weren’t returning! No goodbyes, no owls, nothing!”
“Don’t mind him,” Justin spoke up, looking slightly embarrassed. “He’s only excited to see you both.”
“Justin,” Harry greeted, shaking the boy’s hand. “How’ve you been?”
“Been alright,” Justin said, glancing over to where Seamus was still talking animatedly and smiling.
“How’s the rest of Hufflepuff?” Harry asked. “Ernie and - and Zacharias?” Not that he particularly cared about Zacharias Smith, but it would have been rude not to include him.
“They’re all fine. Ernie’s Head Boy, actually. Did you hear?”
That was news to Harry. Fond of him as he was, Harry imagined having Ernie Macmillan as Head Boy was probably similar to when Percy had the position… But Justin didn’t need to know that. “That’s brilliant!” Harry said instead. “Who’s Head Girl?”
“Padma Patil,” Justin replied. “We were all rooting for Hannah, but what can you do, yeah? Anyway, as for everyone else - well, Zacharias almost didn’t come back. You remember how his dad pulled him out last year?” Harry nodded, and Justin continued, “Well, somehow he convinced his parents to let him come back. We’re still not sure how… Anyway, we’ve all been studying together after hours - as long as we’re allowed to, that is, since we’re not really supposed to be out on our own - doing Defence stuff. Neville’s got us all carrying those coins again, haven’t you, Nev?” He grinned in Neville’s direction, and the other boy gave a sheepish smile in return.
“Wow, Neville,” Harry said in a somewhat awed tone. “You didn’t say you’d practically reformed the D.A.! Is the new teacher that bad?”
“Not really,” Justin said. “Just…not as good as he could be, I guess. And after last year - I mean - well, you know… We decided it’d be best if we were prepared all the time now.”
“I was actually going to owl you about it, Harry,” Neville spoke up. “If you ever need us, we’re ready to go. We know there’s a real war going on now, everybody does, and we’re ready to fight. We even agreed that we’d leave in the middle of class if you called us.”
“Oh. Neville…” Harry sighed. “I couldn’t put you guys in danger like that. Look what happened in fifth year!”
“Yeah, likely you would have died if it had only been you three,” Neville said, glancing back and forth between Harry and Ron and obviously including Hermione in that number. “Harry, we know what we’re getting ourselves into.”
“We want to help,” Seamus added. “You didn’t come back to school because you’re obviously doing something about You-Know-Who, and you have no idea how frustrating it is knowing that you’re out there being helpful while we’re all stuck here doing bloody homework!”
“At the very least, we’ll be here if something happens to Hogwarts again,” Justin said.
“Yeah, like if Malfoy tries to let in some more Death Eaters,” Seamus said, his eyes glinting.
Something pressed up against Harry, an invisible hand lightly twisted the material of the back of his robe, and Harry sighed. “That’s not going to happen again,” he said, glancing across at Ron.
“So it’s true then?” Seamus asked, his eyes wide.
Harry blinked. “What? I thought…”
“Um…” Justin cleared his throat. “No one really knows what happened that night,” he said. “I mean, there’s a warrant out for Malfoy’s arrest, along with Snape’s, obviously, but no one knows why. The rumors were that he was the one who let the Death Eaters in, but we don’t know the truth. Neville, Ginny, and Luna won’t say anything about it.” He slanted a look in Ginny’s direction, frowning.
“The Slytherins all insist that Malfoy’s only wanted because he was last seen with Snape,” Dean spoke up. “And…well, everyone knows why Snape’s wanted…”
“But, Harry, you said it won’t happen again!” Seamus prodded. “Does that mean it’s true? How the hell did Malfoy manage that one?”
Harry shifted uncomfortably, feeling that hand at his back tighten. He hoped no one noticed the way his clothes were scrunching up… “Malfoy got mixed up in some stuff, but…um, it’s really not his fault. Voldemort - sorry,” he said quickly when everybody winced, “You-Know-Who was kind of threatening him with - ow!”
“What happened?”
“Are you okay?”
“What was it?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine!” Harry said hastily as his friends all began throwing panicked looks around the room. Well, all except for Ron who was trying to hide his grin, and Ginny who was peering suspiciously at the space behind Harry. “Sorry,” Harry said again. “Just a - a muscle spasm, that’s all.” More like a really hard pinch in the side. Harry turned his head to the side, frowning, but he only got poked for his efforts. “Anyway,” he continued, shaking his hair out of his eyes, “Malfoy’s - well, he’s not innocent, but he’s not…um…”
“Harry,” Neville said, his brow furrowed, “have you…have you seen Malfoy recently or something? You sound like… Well, I mean, you’re sort of sticking up for him, you know?”
“Er…” Harry shifted again, not meeting anyone’s eyes, and coughed lightly.
“You’ve seen him?” Justin’s eyes were wide. “And you didn’t turn him in?”
“I told you, it wasn’t his fault. Look, if you need someone to blame for everything, blame Snape. He’s the one who - who killed…Professor Dumbledore.” Harry winced inwardly and caught Ron’s eye again, but Ron only shrugged. Well, Snape had said that it was best if people thought he was really on Voldemort’s side…
“But Malfoy helped him, right?” Dean asked.
Harry scratched the back of his head and glanced at the ceiling. “Malfoy…was supposed to do it, but in the end he didn’t…” Harry twitched as Draco pinched him again, but didn’t take back anything he’d said. It couldn’t hurt to start spreading a rumor about Draco being innocent, after all. As long as the Ministry didn’t find out where he was…hmm, and he’d probably better hurry up and tell the rest of the Order, too.
Actually, apparently quite a few of them already knew. The Weasleys, Remus (and no doubt Tonks, because of that), Snape and Aberforth and therefore probably Moody… Maybe Harry wouldn’t have to tell anyone after all! Except Moody would probably want to question Draco at least eight times under Veritaserum…
“Harry!” Ginny snapped, and Harry blinked rapidly a couple of times, only to realize that everyone was staring at him.
“Eh, sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Got a bit distracted… What were you saying?”
“We were talking about the other Slytherins,” Seamus said, walking over to stand next to Justin. To stand awfully close to Justin, actually…
“What about them?” Harry asked.
“They all insist that Malfoy is innocent,” Dean said. “Said it’s a big misunderstanding. But when he didn’t come back to school… Well, Theodore Nott didn’t come back either, and everyone’s pretty sure he joined up with You-Know-Who, so the rest of the school just assumed that Malfoy did the same.”
“The Slytherins are a mess without him, though,” Seamus said, and was he leaning against Justin now? “Crabbe and Goyle walk around like they’re in a daze half the time. I’m surprised they haven’t started banging into the walls yet.”
Ron snorted. “And that’s different from normal?”
“Well, they’re even dumber without Malfoy around, if you can imagine,” Seamus said, grinning. Harry ignored it when Draco pinched him again.
“Pansy Parkinson almost didn’t come back,” Ginny spoke up. “And Harry, if you’d bothered to read the owl I sent you, you’d know all this already.”
“Bitter much, Ginny?” Seamus quipped.
“Shut it, you,” Ginny threw back at him, sticking out her tongue playfully.
“Bloody hell, put it away, you know I’m not interested.”
“Not good enough for you, am I?”
Seamus leered at her. “You’re missing a few important bits, yeah.”
“Wait, what’s this about Pansy Parkinson not coming back?” Harry cut in, mostly because Draco was tugging urgently at the back of his robes, but also because he was somewhat annoyed that Seamus was flirting with his ex-girlfriend right in front of him. Ron also looked a bit shocked at Seamus’ actions. No doubt because Ginny was his little sister, after all.
“Oh, you didn’t hear?” Justin asked, tearing his eyes away from Seamus and looking at Harry. “They had a huge row at the train station. Pansy showed up with her trunk and everything, but apparently her mother hadn’t wanted her to come. She showed up about five minutes later and they went at it right in front of everyone. Screaming and everything.”
“Someone said that Mrs. Parkinson left her husband,” Neville added. “I asked my Gran about it and she says it was for the best, because he’s all mixed up with V-Vol…You-Know-Who, and Mrs. Parkinson always kept out of it.”
“She did?” Harry asked, somewhat surprised to be hearing this. He’d sort of assumed that all of the Slytherins’ parents were Death Eaters. Of course, Draco’s mum had also kept out of it, apparently, so maybe he was wrong…
Neville nodded. “Yeah. I’m not sure, but I don’t think there’s many women in You-Know-Who’s group. They probably leave it for the men. Well, I guess you’d know better than me, Harry, but aside from-” His face tightened as he spoke. “-Bellatrix Lestrange, I haven’t heard of any other women.”
“No, come to think of it, I haven’t really either,” Harry said. “Never really thought of it before.”
Neville nodded. “Anyway,” he continued, “last I heard, Mrs. Parkinson moved back to Spain. That’s where she’s originally from.”
Spain?
Harry’s eyes widened a bit.
Wasn’t that where Mrs. Malfoy was?
“Pansy stayed here, though,” Dean said. “She won that fight at the platform. Her mother left in tears.”
“Pansy’s a mess, though,” Ginny said softly. She was looking over Harry’s shoulder. “She’s lost a ton of weight. She’s a bit like Cho was after - well. Crying all over the place and everything.”
“Of course, a lot of people cry all over the place, nowadays,” Justin said darkly.
“Why did Pansy want to come back so badly?” Ron asked.
“She insisted on finishing her education, I think is what it was,” Neville replied. “She was screaming about how she’d visit her mother over the winter holidays, but Mrs. Parkinson still didn’t want her to stay here. I think she was afraid her father would get hold of her first.”
Harry was about to reply, the words were on the tip of his tongue and everything, but suddenly the presence at his back was gone. So instead of talking, he froze and tried to subtly reach behind him to see if Draco had just backed up or something.
He couldn’t find him anywhere.
“Shit,” he muttered, whirling around and searching the room. There was no way Malfoy could leave without opening the portrait and alerting everyone to his presence, so he had to be somewhere.
“Harry?” Neville asked curiously.
“What’s up?” Seamus said.
“Um…nothing,” Harry replied distractedly. “Just… Bloody hell, where did he go…”
“Uh, where did who go?” Dean asked, his brow furrowing.
Ron chuckled. “Is he trying to escape?”
“I think that last conversation worried him,” Harry muttered.
Ginny’s eyes went wide. “So he is here,” she said triumphantly. “I thought so.”
“What?” Neville, and everyone else, looked completely confused. “What are you talking about?”
“You know, if you’re trying to hide the fact that I’m here,” Draco said from across the room, pulling off the cloak as he spoke, “don’t you think it’s kind of dumb to talk about me in front of everyone else?”
Harry crossed his arms across his chest and glared at Draco. “You,” he said flatly, “suck at being a Slytherin. You’re possibly the most unsubtle person I know.”
“I’m plenty subtle,” Draco said, turning up his nose and crossing his arms behind his head. “And there’s more to Slytherins than just being subtle. We’re sneaky, too.”
“This is sneaky?” Harry asked incredulously, gesturing wildly at the armchair Draco was sprawled out in. “You should have stayed under the cloak! What were you trying to do, anyway? Were you just going to leave?”
“I wasn’t going anywhere,” Draco said in a bored tone. “I just got tired of standing.”
Harry blinked. “Oh…”
“H-Harry?” Neville said, apparently the first to recover from the shock of finding Draco Malfoy in their common room. “What… What…”
“What the bloody hell is he doing here?” Dean said helpfully.
“Er…” Harry glanced at nothing in particular out of the corner of his eye. “I did tell you he’s alright…”
“You didn’t say he was with you, though!” Seamus exclaimed, bug-eyed.
“Really, it’s okay,” Ginny spoke up. Harry gave her a grateful look. “He’s been staying at my house since the summer.”
Dean’s head snapped around to face Ginny. “He’s been at your house?!”
Ginny shrugged noncommittally.
“So he’s not a Death Eater, then?” Justin said hesitantly. He was watching Draco carefully. When Draco noticed this, he smirked in his direction.
Ron coughed. Harry shot him a glare.
“Harry?” Seamus said.
“Um…”
“Look, let’s just get this over with,” Draco said abruptly, getting to his feet and walking over to them.
“Malfoy,” Harry said warningly.
“Shut up, Potter,” Draco said, and then without another word he pulled up his sleeve.
There were collective gasps from around the room. Harry glanced nervously at the door, hoping no one would be returning from dinner anytime soon.
“Since Potter already tried to tell you my life story,” Draco said, rolling his eyes, “you might as well know that, yeah, I’m a marked Death Eater. Surprise, surprise, I’m sure. I fled after - after that night, though. And…um…” Draco faltered. Harry noticed he wasn’t near as calm as he was pretending to be. He looked a little pale, and he definitely sounded nervous.
“And I found him,” Harry finished, glancing at Draco out of the corner of his eye. “He’s been with me since. Well, me and Ron and Hermione. You can trust - ah, well, maybe not him entirely, but you can trust me. He’s okay.”
“That night…” Neville repeated. “You mean, the night you let the Death Eaters in?”
Draco winced. “Yes. That night. I was supposed to return with Snape, but Dum- …Um. But I was offered protec- …You know what, it’s really none of your business,” he said abruptly. “I’m here now, that’s all that matters.”
“Maybe you have Harry under the Imperius,” Neville said, his eyes narrowing.
“Harry can throw off the Imperius,” both Ron and Justin said simultaneously.
There was a sudden, awkward silence. Draco shifted his weight nervously.
“Don’t suppose we can just Obliviate them, can we?” he mock-whispered to Harry.
“I think not,” he replied dryly. “And this is your fault, anyway. You should have stayed under the cloak.”
“Oh, right, and left you to nance about looking for an invisible person. That would have gone over well! …Actually, it would have been horribly amusing. Damn.”
“I thought you were trying to run off to visit Pansy!”
“Why the hell would I do that? Nothing good would come of it; half of the Slytherins would probably run off and tell their parents I was there…”
“Ah. Good point.”
“I do have them occasionally.”
“Alright,” Neville said suddenly. Harry and Draco both looked at him, startled. “Harry, I trust you. I don’t trust him, but I trust you.”
“Thanks, Neville…”
“I take it we’re not allowed to tell anyone about him?”
Harry laughed nervously. “Um, no, that would probably not be a good idea…”
“I don’t know…” Justin said doubtfully. He seemed to be edging toward the door.
“Hmm,” Seamus said, peering back and forth between Harry and Draco.
“Ron, you’re in on this, too?” Dean asked.
“Eh…” Ron fiddled absently with the cuff of his sleeve. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “You can trust Harry on this one. No worries.”
Dean glanced at Ginny, who nodded, her eyes wide. “Okay, then,” he said, sighing. “My lips are sealed.”
Harry glanced at the last two. “Seamus? Justin?”
“Harry…” Justin said, in an odd kind of pleading tone.
“I think it’s cute,” Seamus declared abruptly, and had Harry been drinking anything he would have spewed it all over the place. As it was, he nearly choked on his own spit.
“What - Seamus!” Harry spluttered, feeling his cheeks burn for no apparent reason.
“What the fuck, Finnigan?” Draco snapped.
Seamus grinned. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Touchy, touchy!”
Justin pinched the bridge of his nose. “Seamus…”
“What? I only meant it was cute that Harry was being so protective of Malfoy-”
“Seamus!” Harry said through his clenched jaw.
“-Especially after rescuing him and everything-”
“Seamus!!”
“He didn’t rescue me,” Draco growled. “That fool Hagrid found me and handed me over to Potter, who all but dragged me back to his bedroom-”
“Did he, now?” Seamus cut in, smirking widely.
Draco’s face slowly turned pink, starting with his nose, his cheeks eventually following, as he clenched his fists.
Ron snorted, or at least Harry thought it was a snort until he turned to look at his friend only to find the other boy trying to muffle his laughter. Even Neville and Dean looked reluctantly amused.
Ginny jut looked annoyed, but Harry was too embarrassed to try and figure out why. He really wasn’t even sure what he was embarrassed about, actually.
“That would excite you, wouldn’t it,” Draco said snidely. “You probably get off thinking about two blokes together.”
“Malfoy!” Harry hissed, more than ready to jump to Seamus’ defense, but whatever response he was expecting from the Irish boy, it was certainly nothing like the one he got.
“Well, yeah,” Seamus said, rolling his eyes and smiling widely. “Where have you been for the last three months? Oh, that’s right, you’ve been shacking up with ickle Harry-kins!”
Draco bristled. “I have not been…” he started to say, but then he trailed off, blinking, before his eyes widened.
Ron’s eyes went wide as well, though he didn’t look quite as shocked as Draco.
Harry was just confused. “Wait… Seamus - what?”
“Oh.” Seamus’ grin faded, and Justin looked extremely uncomfortable. “You mean you didn’t know?
“Know - what?” Harry asked, completely baffled.
“That I’m…um…”
“Gay?” Draco supplied flatly. “Queer? A flaming homosexual?”
Seamus frowned slightly, but didn’t disagree. “Well…yeah, that. To be blunt.”
“Huh?” Harry said eloquently. When had that happened? Seamus definitely hadn’t been…hadn’t been…gay when they were rooming together!
…Right?
“He likes boys, Potter,” Draco said, the flush on his cheeks darkening. “For God’s sake, you’d think you would have caught on by now.”
“No, I got that, thanks,” Harry snapped, flustered and annoyed and a million other things that he couldn’t distinguish at the moment. “I just - I mean - when?”
“For awhile now, actually,” Seamus said sheepishly, not meeting Harry’s eyes. “The beginning of sixth year, at least. But I…ah, came out over the summer, if that’s what you’re asking. Justin and I have been together for a little over a month now.”
Harry’s gaze snapped towards Justin, who blushed magnificently and abruptly looked away. Harry’s own cheeks still felt warm and he still had no idea why. A quick glance at Draco showed that his face was still red as well, and now Harry’s face felt even hotter than before and, bloody hell, what was wrong with him?
“Bollocks,” Seamus muttered. “I hate coming out to people. I’m sorry, Harry, I thought you already knew.”
“N-no, it’s fine,” Harry said, though whether it was actually fine or not was definitely still up for discussion. “I just never thought - I - I mean I don’t care or anything, just… Ron, did you know?” he finally asked desperately, looking wildly at the other boy.
“No.” Ron shook his head, eyes still wide. “I mean, just from today…some parts of the conversation I was wondering…but I didn’t know.”
“You all knew, though, right?” Harry asked, looking from Neville to Dean to Ginny and back again. Each of them nodded.
“I’m the first one he told,” Dean said. “And then he told Neville, since we’re sharing a room and all.”
“Pretty much everyone knows, Harry,” Ginny said. She gestured at Justin and Seamus, who Harry noticed were now tightly clutching each other’s hand. “They’re not trying to hide it from anybody.”
Justin cleared his throat. “We don’t want to be ashamed of it,” he said. “It’s…part of who we are.”
Draco snorted, and Harry felt like his blush has faded enough that he could safely glare at Draco again.
“You’re really okay with it?” Seamus asked.
“Oh - of course,” Harry said, forcing a smile onto his face. “Two guys together, no problem with that at all!” Shit, now he was blushing again.
Draco crossed his arms and glowered in the opposite direction.
“Ron?” Seamus said.
Ron waved his hand dismissively. “Seamus, really, do you think something like that would bother me? I’m pretty sure Percy’s queer, anyway, so I’ve probably got to get used to it.”
Ginny giggled into her hand, sharing an amused look with her brother. “You’re right, he probably is! I never really thought of it before.”
“Well, he’s a git, so I try to avoid thinking about him all together,” Ron muttered, smirking a bit.
Harry chuckled, finally relaxing some. Ron really didn’t seem to be worried about it. He must be overreacting, then.
“Good,” Seamus said, laughing in a relieved way. “I was kind of nervous there for a second.”
“And really, it’s okay if you’re uncomfortable,” Justin said, tugging Seamus closer to his side. “Ernie was a bumbling mess around us for at least a week after we told him.”
“He was, wasn’t he?” Seamus said, smiling up at his - Harry’s brain nearly froze over the word - boyfriend. “Whenever we’d kiss around him, he’d go completely red.” Seamus grinned again, and then, as if to demonstrate this, he kissed Justin right there in front of them.
Draco spun around abruptly, stalking towards the portrait hole.
“Potter, when are we leaving this dump? We’ve been here for ages now!” he called back over his shoulder.
Harry frowned at him. “Put the cloak back on, would you? Everyone else is due back any minute.”
Draco huffed, and then with a final glance at Justin and Seamus - who were still kissing - he whipped the cloak out and disappeared beneath it.
“We probably should go, Harry,” Ron said, carefully keeping his eyes off the kissing couple. “Hermione will be wondering how everything went.”
“Oh. Yeah, you’re right,” Harry said. “See you lot later, then!” He glanced at Seamus and Justin out of the corner of his eye, which proved to be a mistake because now he was all flushed again. Damn. “Are they always like this?” he asked Neville, who shrugged and rolled his eyes a bit in reply.
“Come by again, Harry,” Dean said, standing and following them to the portrait.
“And try to actually read that letter I sent you,” Ginny added.
“Right, I will,” Harry promised. Of course, he had to find it first…
“Bye, Harry!” Seamus called, tearing himself away from Justin long enough to wave goodbye. “I really do think you and Malfoy make a cute couple!”
Ginny squawked, Draco spat curses loud enough to hear from beneath the cloak, Harry spluttered indignantly, and Ron rolled his eyes and seized the moment to push both Harry and Draco out the portrait hole.
“Oh, Harry!” Harry turned, trying to ignore Seamus’ snickering, and arched his eyebrows questioningly at Neville, who was leaning halfway out the entrance. “I’m serious about those coins,” he said, giving Harry a hard look. “If you ever need help with anything, let us know.”
Harry nodded. “I will, Neville. I do appreciate that, you know.”
“Alright then.” Neville grinned. “We’ll be seeing you, Harry!”
The portrait shut behind him, and Ron and Harry just kind of stood there for a moment, looking a bit dazed. Draco’s head popped up beside them.
“I have to admit, I didn’t see that coming,” Ron said, tapping his chin.
Harry pushed a hand through his hair, breathing deeply. “Me neither,” he said. “I…don’t know what to make of it.”
“I had him pegged from day one,” Draco said, lifting his chin. “Bloody obvious, if you ask me.”
“Oh, shut up, Malfoy,” Harry snapped
“You were more shocked than the rest of us,” Ron added. “Should have seen the look on your face…” He snickered as Draco gritted his teeth and began stomping off down the stairs.
Harry gave Ron a disgruntled look, and then set off after Draco.
Who still had his hood down.
“Malfoy! Malfoy, hold up, will you? Malfoy!”
“Piss off, Potter!”
“Okay, one, shut the hell up, and two, put the cloak back on!”
Ahaha, yeah, I like gay!Seamus. So sue me. If you read SWAS, you know I did it in that one, too. It’s a cliché that works, damn it! ^.~
Thanks for reading! No idea when the next chapter will be out, but like usual, I’ll try not to make the gap too long!
~Maxine
next chapter
You can also read it at my website, or at Skyehawke.
Title: All the Answers
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: NC-17 (eventually)
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Word Count: 9500
Disclaimer: It's not mine. Really. J.K. Rowling's the brilliant mind behind HP.
Notes: Post-HBP, so yes, SPOILERS! Many, many thanks to my lovely betas, smutella and impish_nymph! Ladies, you're both fantastic!
Summary: Since when has conquering evil ever been easy?
--> All chapters can be found here. <--
previous chapter
~~Chapter 11~~
Of course it would be the one day out of the entire year that Hagrid was not outside near his hut. Or inside it. Or anywhere on the Hogwarts grounds at all, apparently.
“Damn it,” Harry muttered, gripping the gate with one hand and giving it a shake. “There’s got to be someone around.”
“Maybe you could try the Patronus thing,” Ron suggested, leaning against one of the trees along the path. “You’re good enough at it.”
“Oh.” Harry glanced down at his wand. “That’s a good point…”
“I hate your Patronus,” said Draco’s disembodied voice. “It nearly killed me that one time.”
“Are you part Dementor?” Harry asked, quirking an eyebrow in the direction he thought Draco might be.
“No…”
“Then it didn’t almost kill you. And that was your fault anyway.”
“Dead funny, though,” Ron said, chuckling.
“Hmph.”
“Alright.” Harry lifted his wand, looked across at the lake, and tried to remember the days when he, Ron, and Hermione had sat sprawled out along the beach, doing their studies. “Expecto Patronum!”
“Look at that. It wants to attack me again,” Draco muttered, slipping the cloak off his head. Indeed, the stag Harry had just produced had immediately turned in Draco’s direction and was, for all intents and purposes, sniffing the air suspiciously.
“Stop being shifty, Malfoy,” Ron said, grinning as he walked over to where they were standing.
“And pull your cloak back up,” Harry added. He turned to his Patronus. “Um. Go find Hagrid,” he said awkwardly, not really sure how he was supposed to do this. “Er… Tell him - I mean, bring him back here. Yeah.” To his surprise, the stag didn’t run off in the direction of the school. Instead it darted back towards Hogsmeade.
“Huh,” Ron said, watching it go. “That may or may not have been a good idea…”
Fifteen minutes later, it turned out to be a perfectly fine idea.
“Harry! Ron!” a booming voice called as Hagrid came lumbering into view. “Was jus’ havin’ a pint down at Rosmerta’s. Recognize tha’ Patronus anywhere, tho’. Didn’ know yeh’d be coming for a visit!”
“We didn’t tell anyone,” Harry said, grinning widely. “It’s good to see you, Hagrid. How’s school been?”
Hagrid’s smile faded and his eyes seemed to go a bit duller. “It’s jus’ not the same without ol’ Dumbledore,” he said, and sniffed loudly. Harry hoped he wasn’t going to start crying all over him. “An’ the students aren’ allowed outside anymore, so my class has pretty much been cancelled.”
Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Harry couldn’t imagine anyone was particularly upset about that…
“What do you mean no one’s allowed outside anymore, Hagrid?” Ron asked.
Harry’s eyes went wide. “Does that mean there’s no more Quidditch?”
“S’been cancelled, too,” Hagrid said sadly. He gave them a pitiful smile. “Guess you’re glad you didn’ come back, eh?”
Harry sighed, looking back at the castle. “I still miss it,” he said softly. “We were hoping to visit some people. Can you let us in?”
“Course,” Hagrid said, moving towards the gate. “Jus’ be sure to visit Professor - eh, sorry - Headmistress McGonagall. Don’ think she’d like yeh wanderin’ the castle without her knowin’.”
They waved goodbye to Hagrid after he let them in, and then trudged up the sloping hills to Hogwarts’ main entrance.
“You think we should have asked him for the password?” Ron pointed out a bit later when they found themselves blankly facing the stone gargoyles that guarded the Headmistress’ office.
“Er,” Harry said intelligently. “Sherbet lemon?” he offered tentatively.
“Sweets were Professor Dumbledore’s way of assigning passwords, Mr. Potter.” Harry whirled around, finding himself face to face with his old Head of House. She peered at them. “Surely you do not think I would use the same method. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten what Gryffindor’s passwords used to be.”
“Professor,” Harry and Ron said simultaneously, both grinning at her. Her lips quirked upward slightly in return, and Harry was suddenly very aware of how tired she looked. She seemed to have aged years in the span of just a few months.
“It’s good to see you, Potter, Weasley.” She nodded at each in turn. “I see Miss Granger is not with you. I have her study package ready.”
Ron blanched. “Study package?” he repeated. “I can’t believe she actually owled you.”
The corners of McGonagall’s mouth tightened, like she was trying to suppress a smile. “She was very thorough in the books she asked for. And there are prep N.E.W.T.s exams from at least the past decade also included.”
“Oh man,” Ron groaned. “We’re not giving it to her, Harry. We’ll just have to conveniently forget to bring it back with us.”
Harry chuckled. “She’d only come back and get it herself.”
“Potter.” Harry turned to McGonagall, arching his eyebrows questioningly. She frowned at him, watching him closely. “How have you been these past few months? Has your - task been going well?”
Harry knew that she still was hoping he’d tell her what exactly he had to do, but he stood firm by his decision to remain quiet. “It’s going alright,” he said. “We’ve run into some dead-ends here and there, but I think we’ll get by okay.” Actually, he had no idea if they would get by at all, because this plan of Snape’s was still kind of iffy, but he didn’t want anyone worrying unnecessarily about him.
“If I can help you in anyway-”
“I’ll definitely let you know,” Harry cut in. “And there was one thing I was hoping I could do here.’
“What is that?” Professor McGonagall asked.
Harry took a deep breath before answering, “I was hoping I could speak with Professor Dumbledore’s portrait. Er, you know, the one that’s up in his - your office.”
“We were also wondering if we could go visit the Gryffindor common room,” Ron added.
“Of course, Weasley, by all means. You’re always welcome there,” McGonagall said. “And…Potter… Come with me.” She turned toward the gargoyles, muttering the password under her breath.
Harry turned to Ron. “Go visit Slughorn first, would you?” he asked, pulling the potions vial from his pocket and handing it over to Ron. “See what he makes of that. And,” he lowered his voice, “make sure he stays with you.”
Ron nodded, tucking the vial away. “Aye aye, captain!” he said cheerfully. “Should I meet you back here?”
“Yeah,” Harry said. “I shouldn’t be too long.”
“Alright then.”
Harry stepped onto the spiral staircase once it spun into view, making a valiant effort not to be obvious that he was trying to keep any invisible people out of the way.
“It might be a bit of a shock,” McGonagall said softly. “He remembers everything from when he was alive, of course, but…the fact that he is a painting…is hard to grasp…”
Harry swallowed nervously. “I think I’ll manage,” he said. “Is it alright if I talk to him by myself?”
McGonagall nodded. “Of course,” she said. “I’ll just see you through. The books Miss Granger requested are on my desk.” She led him up to the large oak door and swung it open. “Oh, and Potter?” Harry paused, looking at her. She gave him a tight smile. “Do come back and visit us again.”
Harry nodded, and McGonagall nodded once in return, and then the door shut quietly behind him and he was left in a room filled with portraits of dead Hogwarts Headmasters.
“Harry, my dear boy,” said a very familiar voice that made Harry tense up. He turned slowly, almost afraid to see it, but somehow he managed to meet those twinkling blue eyes squarely.
“Hello, Professor Dumbledore.”
Dumbledore looked as if the entire past year had not happened. The drawn tiredness that had lined his face in the last few months of his life was gone, leaving him looking refreshed and alive and-
And it was still a painting. Dumbledore wasn’t alive now, and he never would be again. As good as this portrait made him look, he’d still disappeared over the edge of the tower all those months ago.
“Harry,” Dumbledore said again, folding his arms across the bottom of his frame and smiling gently at him. “I admit, I rather thought I’d see you in here sooner. That I haven’t gives me great hope that you’ve been faring well these past months.”
Harry shrugged noncommittally, suddenly unable to find his voice. “Professor…” he eventually croaked, and to his horror he felt his eyes burn. “Oh God,” he gasped, pushing his glasses up and pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. “I’m sorry - I don’t-”
“Quite alright, quite alright,” Dumbledore said softly. “I know this must be hard for you.”
But Harry couldn’t stop. He didn’t know what was wrong with him - if he’d had any idea that just seeing Dumbledore’s portrait would affect him this much, he never would have come! “I’m sorry!” he gasped again, staggering over to the desk to brace himself. “I’m so sorry - Professor, it’s all my fault! If I hadn’t - that potion - if I didn’t-”
“Stop right there, Harry.”
“But-”
“No,” Dumbledore said firmly. Harry glanced up at the painting, still dragging his hands across his eyes in an attempt to stop the tears that just seemed to keep coming. “Harry, none of this was your fault, you must understand that. None of it. It is Voldemort’s, and Voldemort’s alone. The blame lies entirely with him.”
“I - I know that,” Harry murmured. “I just…”
“Put it from your mind.”
“It’s not that easy!” Why did he have to fall apart like this now? He hadn’t come to see Dumbledore just to cry in front him like a little kid.
“I understand,” Dumbledore said. “Seeing me like this was of course a shock for you.”
“I…I didn’t think it would bother me so much,” Harry admitted, sniffing and rubbing his arm across his face a final time. “I’m sorry. That - that was unexpected.” He pushed a hand through his hair, embarrassed. “But…Professor… I have to know. Was it - did the potion-”
“Not important. I suggest you do not ask me again.”
“But, Professor!”
“Harry.” Dumbledore lowered his glasses, peering at Harry overtop of them. “I will not answer that question.”
“But…” Harry tried again. Dumbledore arched his eyebrows, and Harry huffed. “Oh…fine. Alright then.”
“Good,” Dumbledore said cheerfully, pushing his glasses back up. “Now, I believe you had something you wanted to ask me?”
“Oh. Right.” Harry frowned. “I was wondering… Professor, the Horcruxes - I don’t know…” He trailed off, chewing his lip.
“Severus is helping you with that, is he not?” Dumbledore asked.
Harry blinked. “I - what? I mean, yeah, he is. Sort of. I just met with him today. But…”
Dumbledore chuckled. “You do not trust him.”
“Well, I - no! Of course I don’t!” Harry spluttered. “Professor, I watched him kill you!”
“Hmm.” Dumbledore folding his hands in front of his face and rested his chin on them. “Yes, I suppose that does make things difficult. You must understand, Harry, that I had planned on that happening.”
“That’s what Snape said,” Harry said sullenly. “But how can I just believe him?”
“Believe me.”
“I do!” Harry insisted. “But what I’m saying is… What if - what if it was just an easy out for him? What if you were actually completely wrong about him? Professor, how can you be so sure about it all?”
“Consider it an old fool’s bad judgment if indeed Severus is on the other side. Which he is not.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better…”
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling, and Harry sighed.
“Alright, fine,” he said, lowering his eyes. “I trust you. Not him, but you.”
“I’m glad I inspire such faith,” Dumbledore said wryly. The corner of Harry’s mouth tugged upwards against his will. “Now, what was it about the Horcruxes you wished to know?”
Um, everything?
Harry coughed slightly. “Well... We’re having some trouble…finding them,” he said helplessly. “We need help. More help,” he added, knowing Dumbledore would probably just tell him to go to Snape. “I don’t even know where to start. We have the locket, but…”
“Harry.” Dumbledore looked vaguely amused. “Don’t you think that if I had known where and what all the Horcruxes were, I would have gathered them all myself as soon as possible?”
Oh.
Well, shit.
“I…didn’t think of it that way,” Harry mumbled. Of course. Why had he assumed Dumbledore would know anything more than what he’d already told him?
“I shared all of my information with you, Harry,” Dumbledore said. “I’ve shown you all that I know of Voldemort’s - of Tom Riddle’s - past. I showed you the sorts of things he considered important. I told you where the other Horcruxes were found. It is to your advantage that he hides his Horcruxes in the landmarks of his past; otherwise this search would be much more difficult.”
Harry nodded, looking thoughtful. “That’s right. Well, aside from the diary, but then he did entrust it to his right-hand man. But yeah, the ring was in his mother’s old home, the locket was in that cave that was sort of connected with the orphanage where he grew up… Snape is sending us to the area where Voldemort first used to meet up with his Death Eaters to look for another Horcrux.”
“That sounds promising.”
“I hope so.” Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I don’t have anything else to ask you, then.”
“I wish I could be of more help, Harry, truly I do,” Dumbledore said. “Unfortunately I am doomed to remain behind this beautifully painted desk for the rest of my days. Perhaps I will take a visit to that portrait of me that’s in the Ministry. I have the most comfortable armchair in that one.”
Harry smiled, but it was halfhearted. “Well, it was good seeing you, at least.”
“And you as well, my boy,” Dumbledore said, nodding as Harry moved towards the door. “Oh, and Harry?” Harry turned back to face him. “Just because there’s no information I can share with you now does not mean you cannot bring your troubles or questions to me in the future. I’ll always be glad to assist you in any way I can.”
Harry’s smile widened. “Of course,” he said. “Thank you, Professor.”
“You also would not want to leave that impressive stack of books on the desk,” Dumbledore said, gesturing towards what had to be the study package McGonagall had mentioned. Harry had carefully been ignoring it up until that point. “I believe Miss Granger is expecting it,” Dumbledore continued, looking amused.
Harry grimaced. “Here I am trying to defeat Voldemort, and she’s only worried about her studies,” he said in an exasperated tone.
Dumbledore chuckled. “I think it’s very admirable of her.”
Harry grumbled something that may or may not have been a vague agreement, and hefted the stack into his arms.
“You could shrink it,” Dumbledore suggested.
“I’d rather see the look on Ron’s face first,” Harry said, grinning.
“Ahh.” Dumbledore smiled. “Carry on, then.”
“Bye, Professor.”
“Goodbye, Harry.”
Harry shut the door behind him, and then stood there for a moment, leaning his head back against it.
He tried to ignore it as his eyes starting burning again.
* * *
“So, did you find anything out?” Ron asked the minute Harry stepped off the spiral staircase. “How’s Dumbledore doing? Did he look anything different? What did he tell you? Is-” He cut himself off abruptly as his eyes landed on the books piled in Harry’s arms, then swallowed nervously. “What…? Um, Harry… That’s not - is it?”
Harry nodded, smiling ruefully. “It is. Brilliant, eh?”
“Oh yeah,” Ron said slowly, eyes wide. “Absolutely fantastic. Merlin, Harry, put them away! Makes me itch just looking at them.”
“What, are you allergic to books now?” Harry asked as he pulled out his wand and shrunk the books until they were almost too small to see. “They’d be so easy to just accidentally lose…”
Ron nodded eagerly. “I won’t say anything. We can even rip a hole in your pocket to give us an excuse.”
“Hermione would see right through it.”
“Oh…yeah.” Ron sighed. “You’re right; she wouldn’t believe it for a second.” He scowled, shoving his hands into his pockets, before remembering what he’d originally asked and perking up again. “Anyway, what about Dumbledore? How does he look?”
“Ron,” Harry said, amused, “he’s a painting. He looks exactly the same as before.”
Ron visibly deflated. “Oh. Right. I forgot.”
“And I don’t think he’s really going to be much use,” Harry continued, walking down the hall and away from the disappointments of Dumbledore’s old office.
“Why not?”
“Well… I’ll say it like he said it to me. Don’t you think if he’d known what and where the Horcruxes were, he’d have gotten them all already?”
“Oh. Oh yeah.” Ron slowed down, eventually stopping. Harry turned to look at him. “So…he’s not very helpful, then?”
Harry shook his head. “Not a bit. He’s told me everything he knows already.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking again. Ron followed. “What about you?” Harry asked after a minute. “What did Slughorn say?”
“Oh, right!” Ron pulled the vial from his pockets, looking a great deal more excited. “Apparently this is the real deal, Harry! Slughorn seemed kind of surprised that we had it; he said it’s a really rare potion and it’s hard to make. Has to brew for three months. He wanted to know where we’d gotten it.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him you made it,” Ron said sheepishly, grinning. “Of course then he got all disappointed that you didn’t go down to see him. But he believed me, so I guess we’re okay.”
Harry nodded. “Three months, eh?”
“Yep.”
“Hmm.” Maybe that was one of the reasons Snape had taken so long to get in contact with him… “Hey,” Harry said, finally noticing something. He spun around, glancing down the hall. “Where’s Malfoy?”
“Oh.” Ron paused, following Harry’s gaze. “He was with me when we were in the dungeons…”
“I’m here,” Draco said dully, pulling off the hood of his cloak. “How much longer are we sticking around here? It’s incredibly boring under this thing.”
“It’s better when you’re trying to sneak around the place,” Ron said, chuckling a bit.
“Not that you should go sneaking off,” Harry added. “And pull that back up, do you want someone to see you?”
Draco rolled his eyes. “We are leaving soon, though, aren’t we?”
Ron and Harry exchanged glances.
“We’re going by Gryffindor first,” Harry said, finally realizing just where his feet had been leading him.
“Hooray,” Draco said flatly. “Just what I always wanted, to see the inside of the infamous Gryffindor common room.”
“Shut up already,” Ron said. “Someone will hear you.”
Draco sighed loudly, but then obediently kept his mouth shut.
“D’you think the Fat Lady will let us in without the password?” Ron asked.
“Doubt it,” Harry replied. “We’ll have to find someone who’s wandering the corridors.”
“They’ve been kind of empty,” Ron pointed out, glancing around. “There’s probably a new rule that you can’t be out without a Prefect or something.”
Harry shivered. The castle suddenly seemed unusually cold. And empty. The shadows stretched along the wall, their voices echoed down the corridor. He was used to the hustle and bustle of students scrambling to get to their next class or down to the Great Hall for dinner. Harry couldn’t remember many times when he’d been in Hogwarts while it was this quiet.
“We’re here,” Ron said softly as they climbed the last of the steps and stood before one very familiar painting.
“Oh.” The Fat Lady peered down at them with narrowed eyes. “It’s you. I thought you didn’t come back this year.”
“We didn’t, obviously,” Harry said, rolling his eyes. “Otherwise you would have seen us sometime in the past two months.”
The Fat Lady bristled, but before she could say anything somebody came clambering loudly up the steps behind them.
“Who’s that? H-Harry?” Neville panted, bent slightly at the waist with his hands on his knees as he halted at the top of the stairs. “What - what are you doing here? Is something wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Neville,” Harry said, feeling a grin stretch across his face. “Just came for a visit.” He shook hands with Neville once the other boy recovered from his sprint up the stairs, while Ron clapped him on the shoulder.
“Good to see you, Nev!” he said cheerfully. “How’ve things been? Been taking care of Gryffindor for us?”
Neville smiled, and Harry abruptly noticed just how much he had grown over the summer. He was nearly as tall as Ron now, and gone were the oversized shoes and the baby fat of his cheeks.
“It’s been alright. It’s really not the same without you guys, though. There are only three of us in the room now!”
“Blimey,” Ron said, his eyes wide, and as he looked Neville over from head to toe it became clear that it wasn’t the number of people in their old dorm he was referring to. “Exactly what did you do over the summer, Neville?” Harry was glad he asked, because otherwise it would have been the next question out of his mouth.
Neville flushed, his grin turning sheepish. “Practiced outside a lot, mostly,” he said. “And I did a lot of gardening. I hadn’t noticed anything different, but people keep gawking at me, so…”
“Practiced what?” Harry asked curiously.
“Defence stuff,” Neville said, shrugging. “Mostly things you taught us. And…Professor Snape, last year. I want to be prepared if you ever need us again.” Then, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a familiar looking Galleon.
“You still carry that around?” Harry said, his eyes wide.
“Turned out to be useful last year, didn’t it?” Neville said, a slightly sharp tone to his voice. “Luna still carries hers, too. She got some of the other Ravenclaws to dig theirs out, as well, and I know I’ve got Dean and Seamus convinced.”
“Neville…” Harry let out a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thank you,” he said. “Really. That’s brilliant.”
“How’s Luna doing, anyway?” Ron asked. “Seen any Crumple-Horned Snorkacks lately?”
Neville chuckled. “Not that I know of, but she’s doing fine. We, uh…actually, we kind of dated for part of the summer…”
“Did you now?” Harry said, glancing over at Ron and trying to hide his suddenly wide grin.
“Yeah. Lasted about two weeks into term but…well, it’s Luna. Even I could only take so much of her,” Neville admitted. “We’re better off as friends, believe me.”
“How about since then?” Ron asked, nudging Neville in the sides and winking at him. “Any other lucky ladies?”
“Not a one,” Neville proclaimed cheerfully. “I’m woefully girlfriendless at the moment.”
“And the other guys?” Harry asked, suddenly remembering that Ginny was going to be on the other side of the Fat Lady’s portrait (who was eying them all in annoyance, clearly waiting for them to enter the common room already). “Does Dean have a girlfriend?”
Ron rolled his eyes and Harry thought he heard a soft snort from somewhere close by, but Neville grinned.
“No, Dean does not have a girlfriend,” he replied. “Though…not for lack of trying…”
Harry’s brow furrowed. “Hmm.”
“And what about Seamus?” Ron asked. “Has he had any luck?”
“Er…” Neville’s eyes widened a bit and he looked away. “Ahh, no, not really. Seamus is also woefully…girlfriendless… Eh-heh.”
“Guess we’re not missing out on much, eh, Harry?”
“What are you talking about, Ron? You have Hermione now, remember?” Harry said, arching an eyebrow.
“Oh, are you two finally going out?” Neville asked.
“What do you mean, finally?” Ron said sharply.
Neville looked at Harry, who coughed lightly into his hand.
“Don’t suppose you could let us into the common room, could you, Neville?” he asked abruptly.
“Yeah, of course, Harry,” Neville answered just as quick. “Come on.”
There was a brief moment when they stepped through the portrait hole that Harry felt as if it were any other day he’d been at Hogwarts, like he was just returning from a late class or detention with Snape or Quidditch practice, even. Nobody in the room seemed to care one way or another that he was there, he could just go on through up to his room and collapse into his comfortable four-poster bed…
But then there came a loud shriek from the opposite side of the room, and Harry suddenly found his arms pinned to his sides as he was engulfed in a hug by Lavender Brown of all people.
“Harry!” she cried. “Oh my goodness, Harry! And - Ronald.” She spared him a brief glare and then looked back at Harry again. “I can’t believe you’re here! It’s so good to see you!”
And just like that, every pair of eyes in the room was on them, a crowd was quickly beginning to form, and Harry felt like he’d just been tossed into the lion’s den.
“Er, yeah, it’s good to see you, too, Lavender,” Harry said uncomfortably, disentangling himself from the girl. He glanced around the room, and as soon as he spotted flaming red hair and bright brown eyes over by the fireplace, he pushed his way through the burgeoning crowd and headed in that direction.
“Ginny. Hey,” he greeted awkwardly once he’d forced his way over to the sofa.
“Hi, Harry,” she replied in the same sort of tone, though there was a soft smile on her face.
“Harry…” a third voice said, which was when Harry glanced at the person next to Ginny and felt his insides go cold.
“Hey, Dean,” he said after a beat. Why was Dean sitting next Ginny? Why were they on the same couch? Why were they even anywhere in the same vicinity? Why was Dean sitting next to his-
Wait.
Harry let out a breath and unclenched his fists.
Why was Dean sitting next to his nothing. He and Ginny weren’t together anymore. Ginny wasn’t his girlfriend. And anyway, hadn’t Neville said that Dean wasn’t dating anyone?
Though not for lack of trying.
Harry frowned.
Still, it didn’t matter. Ginny wasn’t his anymore. Harry knew that. Actually, it really didn’t even bother him to see them sitting together… Why had he overreacted like that?
“Hey, Dean,” he said again, smiling this time. “Long time no see.”
Dean visibly relaxed, grinning warmly back at him. “No joke, Harry. Where’ve you been hiding? We were sure you’d come back at least once at the beginning of term!”
“We’ve been busy,” Ron spoke up from Harry’s side, grinning widely. “Hey guys!”
“I see you never fail to attract a crowd,” Ginny said dryly, looking over the back of the sofa at all of the people watching them. “Clear off, you lot! It’s just Harry, not like you’ve never seen him before!”
A few wide-eyed first years lingered after the crowd dispersed - Merlin, they were tiny, Harry was sure he had never been that small and pathetic looking - but eventually they wandered away to continue whatever it was they had been doing before Harry and Ron showed up.
“Sit down, guys,” Neville said, ushering Ron and Harry into armchairs by the fire. Harry had no idea where Malfoy was. He hoped he hadn’t gotten lost somewhere in the crowd…
There was an awkward sort of silence for a moment, until Ginny launched herself from her seat and landed in Harry’s arms.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, kissing his cheek and wrapping her arms tightly around his back. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”
But whatever it was that had seized Harry just moments before had all but vanished now, and he gently pushed Ginny away from him, smiling at her even as she frowned at him. “We were due for a visit,” he said simply, watching as Ginny returned to her seat, her brow furrowed.
“Yeah, we were in Hogsmeade, so it would have been stupid not to come by,” Ron added, folding his arms behind his head and looking for all the world like he’d never left Gryffindor in the first place. It was so easy to just fall back into their places…
“Where’s Hermione?” Ginny asked, apparently just having noticed that her friend was absent.
“She stayed behind,” Ron replied. “Had some things to do.”
“So, what’s been happening around here?” Harry asked, looking between Neville, Dean, and Ginny. “Anything new?”
“Nothing other than what I told you,” Ginny said, her eyes narrowing a bit. “You got my letter, didn’t you?”
Letter? What letter-
Oh.
Harry’s eyes widened
“Er,” he mumbled, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. “Yeah, I got it.” Right. He’d gotten it…he just hadn’t read it. Come to think of it, he wasn’t even sure where it was now. He’d gotten so distracted by the whole meeting-with-Snape thing… “Just…forgot. Sorry.”
“I’m sure,” Ginny said flatly.
Harry looked at Ron, eyes wide, and did his best to communicate HELP ME telepathically.
“So, uh, how’re classes?” Ron asked quickly, and Harry sent a quick thank you! along to him as well.
Dean shrugged. “They’re alright. Same as always, really. Defence teacher is a bit odd this year, though.”
“What does that not surprise me?” Ron said, rolling his eyes, and Harry chuckled.
They chatted for a while, other students drifting past now and then to see how Ron and Harry were doing, but eventually the room began to clear out until only the five of them were left.
“Where’d everyone go?” Harry asked when he noticed the sudden lack of background noise.
Neville glanced down at his watch. “Dinner’s started. They’re probably in the Great Hall.”
“Oh.” Harry’s eyes widened. “Sorry, are we keeping you guys? If you want to go eat-”
“We’re fine,” Ginny said promptly. “After all, we can eat any old time. We only get to see you once in a blue moon.”
Harry arched his eyebrows questioningly at Dean. “You heard the lady,” Dean said, grinning. “Apparently we are above the call of food.”
Well, they might have been, but Draco apparently was not. He’d been subtly tugging on Harry’s sleeve with what Harry thought was increasing annoyance for the past fifteen minutes.
“Still, we should probably get going,” Harry said, standing from his chair. “We have to get back to the Burrow-”
Before he could finish his sentence, the portrait swung open and banged off the wall with the Fat Lady squawking loudly, and Seamus bolted through it, Justin Finch-Fletchey at his heels.
“Where are they?!” Seamus asked wildly, his head swiveling back and forth as he searched the common room. “Everyone down at dinner is saying Ron and Harry are here! Where’d they go?”
“We didn’t go anywhere,” Ron said, clearly amused as he waved at Seamus from his armchair.
“Really, Seamus, we’re the only people in here,” Dean said. “How can you miss us?”
“Shut it,” Seamus snapped halfheartedly, bounding over to where Harry was still standing and throwing an arm around his shoulders to pull him into a quick hug. “Merlin, it’s good to see you guys!” he said gruffly into Harry’s shoulder, and either Harry had actually managed to grow some more over the summer, or Seamus was a lot shorter than he remembered. Possibly he’d just never really noticed before…
Dean and Ginny were sharing amused looks when Seamus released Harry and turned to pull Ron out of his chair to give him a hug, too, and Neville’s cheeks seemed to have gone slightly pink.
“Bloody hell, did you grow even more, Ron?” Seamus asked, smiling widely. “I was sure I at least reached your chin before.”
“Can’t recall,” Ron said, clapping Seamus on the shoulder when he pulled away. “Good to see you, mate!”
“And you!” Seamus replied, before frowning a bit. “Could have told a bloke you weren’t coming back, though. Here I am, fighting me mam with everything in me to get her to let me come back, only to find that two of our number weren’t returning! No goodbyes, no owls, nothing!”
“Don’t mind him,” Justin spoke up, looking slightly embarrassed. “He’s only excited to see you both.”
“Justin,” Harry greeted, shaking the boy’s hand. “How’ve you been?”
“Been alright,” Justin said, glancing over to where Seamus was still talking animatedly and smiling.
“How’s the rest of Hufflepuff?” Harry asked. “Ernie and - and Zacharias?” Not that he particularly cared about Zacharias Smith, but it would have been rude not to include him.
“They’re all fine. Ernie’s Head Boy, actually. Did you hear?”
That was news to Harry. Fond of him as he was, Harry imagined having Ernie Macmillan as Head Boy was probably similar to when Percy had the position… But Justin didn’t need to know that. “That’s brilliant!” Harry said instead. “Who’s Head Girl?”
“Padma Patil,” Justin replied. “We were all rooting for Hannah, but what can you do, yeah? Anyway, as for everyone else - well, Zacharias almost didn’t come back. You remember how his dad pulled him out last year?” Harry nodded, and Justin continued, “Well, somehow he convinced his parents to let him come back. We’re still not sure how… Anyway, we’ve all been studying together after hours - as long as we’re allowed to, that is, since we’re not really supposed to be out on our own - doing Defence stuff. Neville’s got us all carrying those coins again, haven’t you, Nev?” He grinned in Neville’s direction, and the other boy gave a sheepish smile in return.
“Wow, Neville,” Harry said in a somewhat awed tone. “You didn’t say you’d practically reformed the D.A.! Is the new teacher that bad?”
“Not really,” Justin said. “Just…not as good as he could be, I guess. And after last year - I mean - well, you know… We decided it’d be best if we were prepared all the time now.”
“I was actually going to owl you about it, Harry,” Neville spoke up. “If you ever need us, we’re ready to go. We know there’s a real war going on now, everybody does, and we’re ready to fight. We even agreed that we’d leave in the middle of class if you called us.”
“Oh. Neville…” Harry sighed. “I couldn’t put you guys in danger like that. Look what happened in fifth year!”
“Yeah, likely you would have died if it had only been you three,” Neville said, glancing back and forth between Harry and Ron and obviously including Hermione in that number. “Harry, we know what we’re getting ourselves into.”
“We want to help,” Seamus added. “You didn’t come back to school because you’re obviously doing something about You-Know-Who, and you have no idea how frustrating it is knowing that you’re out there being helpful while we’re all stuck here doing bloody homework!”
“At the very least, we’ll be here if something happens to Hogwarts again,” Justin said.
“Yeah, like if Malfoy tries to let in some more Death Eaters,” Seamus said, his eyes glinting.
Something pressed up against Harry, an invisible hand lightly twisted the material of the back of his robe, and Harry sighed. “That’s not going to happen again,” he said, glancing across at Ron.
“So it’s true then?” Seamus asked, his eyes wide.
Harry blinked. “What? I thought…”
“Um…” Justin cleared his throat. “No one really knows what happened that night,” he said. “I mean, there’s a warrant out for Malfoy’s arrest, along with Snape’s, obviously, but no one knows why. The rumors were that he was the one who let the Death Eaters in, but we don’t know the truth. Neville, Ginny, and Luna won’t say anything about it.” He slanted a look in Ginny’s direction, frowning.
“The Slytherins all insist that Malfoy’s only wanted because he was last seen with Snape,” Dean spoke up. “And…well, everyone knows why Snape’s wanted…”
“But, Harry, you said it won’t happen again!” Seamus prodded. “Does that mean it’s true? How the hell did Malfoy manage that one?”
Harry shifted uncomfortably, feeling that hand at his back tighten. He hoped no one noticed the way his clothes were scrunching up… “Malfoy got mixed up in some stuff, but…um, it’s really not his fault. Voldemort - sorry,” he said quickly when everybody winced, “You-Know-Who was kind of threatening him with - ow!”
“What happened?”
“Are you okay?”
“What was it?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine!” Harry said hastily as his friends all began throwing panicked looks around the room. Well, all except for Ron who was trying to hide his grin, and Ginny who was peering suspiciously at the space behind Harry. “Sorry,” Harry said again. “Just a - a muscle spasm, that’s all.” More like a really hard pinch in the side. Harry turned his head to the side, frowning, but he only got poked for his efforts. “Anyway,” he continued, shaking his hair out of his eyes, “Malfoy’s - well, he’s not innocent, but he’s not…um…”
“Harry,” Neville said, his brow furrowed, “have you…have you seen Malfoy recently or something? You sound like… Well, I mean, you’re sort of sticking up for him, you know?”
“Er…” Harry shifted again, not meeting anyone’s eyes, and coughed lightly.
“You’ve seen him?” Justin’s eyes were wide. “And you didn’t turn him in?”
“I told you, it wasn’t his fault. Look, if you need someone to blame for everything, blame Snape. He’s the one who - who killed…Professor Dumbledore.” Harry winced inwardly and caught Ron’s eye again, but Ron only shrugged. Well, Snape had said that it was best if people thought he was really on Voldemort’s side…
“But Malfoy helped him, right?” Dean asked.
Harry scratched the back of his head and glanced at the ceiling. “Malfoy…was supposed to do it, but in the end he didn’t…” Harry twitched as Draco pinched him again, but didn’t take back anything he’d said. It couldn’t hurt to start spreading a rumor about Draco being innocent, after all. As long as the Ministry didn’t find out where he was…hmm, and he’d probably better hurry up and tell the rest of the Order, too.
Actually, apparently quite a few of them already knew. The Weasleys, Remus (and no doubt Tonks, because of that), Snape and Aberforth and therefore probably Moody… Maybe Harry wouldn’t have to tell anyone after all! Except Moody would probably want to question Draco at least eight times under Veritaserum…
“Harry!” Ginny snapped, and Harry blinked rapidly a couple of times, only to realize that everyone was staring at him.
“Eh, sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Got a bit distracted… What were you saying?”
“We were talking about the other Slytherins,” Seamus said, walking over to stand next to Justin. To stand awfully close to Justin, actually…
“What about them?” Harry asked.
“They all insist that Malfoy is innocent,” Dean said. “Said it’s a big misunderstanding. But when he didn’t come back to school… Well, Theodore Nott didn’t come back either, and everyone’s pretty sure he joined up with You-Know-Who, so the rest of the school just assumed that Malfoy did the same.”
“The Slytherins are a mess without him, though,” Seamus said, and was he leaning against Justin now? “Crabbe and Goyle walk around like they’re in a daze half the time. I’m surprised they haven’t started banging into the walls yet.”
Ron snorted. “And that’s different from normal?”
“Well, they’re even dumber without Malfoy around, if you can imagine,” Seamus said, grinning. Harry ignored it when Draco pinched him again.
“Pansy Parkinson almost didn’t come back,” Ginny spoke up. “And Harry, if you’d bothered to read the owl I sent you, you’d know all this already.”
“Bitter much, Ginny?” Seamus quipped.
“Shut it, you,” Ginny threw back at him, sticking out her tongue playfully.
“Bloody hell, put it away, you know I’m not interested.”
“Not good enough for you, am I?”
Seamus leered at her. “You’re missing a few important bits, yeah.”
“Wait, what’s this about Pansy Parkinson not coming back?” Harry cut in, mostly because Draco was tugging urgently at the back of his robes, but also because he was somewhat annoyed that Seamus was flirting with his ex-girlfriend right in front of him. Ron also looked a bit shocked at Seamus’ actions. No doubt because Ginny was his little sister, after all.
“Oh, you didn’t hear?” Justin asked, tearing his eyes away from Seamus and looking at Harry. “They had a huge row at the train station. Pansy showed up with her trunk and everything, but apparently her mother hadn’t wanted her to come. She showed up about five minutes later and they went at it right in front of everyone. Screaming and everything.”
“Someone said that Mrs. Parkinson left her husband,” Neville added. “I asked my Gran about it and she says it was for the best, because he’s all mixed up with V-Vol…You-Know-Who, and Mrs. Parkinson always kept out of it.”
“She did?” Harry asked, somewhat surprised to be hearing this. He’d sort of assumed that all of the Slytherins’ parents were Death Eaters. Of course, Draco’s mum had also kept out of it, apparently, so maybe he was wrong…
Neville nodded. “Yeah. I’m not sure, but I don’t think there’s many women in You-Know-Who’s group. They probably leave it for the men. Well, I guess you’d know better than me, Harry, but aside from-” His face tightened as he spoke. “-Bellatrix Lestrange, I haven’t heard of any other women.”
“No, come to think of it, I haven’t really either,” Harry said. “Never really thought of it before.”
Neville nodded. “Anyway,” he continued, “last I heard, Mrs. Parkinson moved back to Spain. That’s where she’s originally from.”
Spain?
Harry’s eyes widened a bit.
Wasn’t that where Mrs. Malfoy was?
“Pansy stayed here, though,” Dean said. “She won that fight at the platform. Her mother left in tears.”
“Pansy’s a mess, though,” Ginny said softly. She was looking over Harry’s shoulder. “She’s lost a ton of weight. She’s a bit like Cho was after - well. Crying all over the place and everything.”
“Of course, a lot of people cry all over the place, nowadays,” Justin said darkly.
“Why did Pansy want to come back so badly?” Ron asked.
“She insisted on finishing her education, I think is what it was,” Neville replied. “She was screaming about how she’d visit her mother over the winter holidays, but Mrs. Parkinson still didn’t want her to stay here. I think she was afraid her father would get hold of her first.”
Harry was about to reply, the words were on the tip of his tongue and everything, but suddenly the presence at his back was gone. So instead of talking, he froze and tried to subtly reach behind him to see if Draco had just backed up or something.
He couldn’t find him anywhere.
“Shit,” he muttered, whirling around and searching the room. There was no way Malfoy could leave without opening the portrait and alerting everyone to his presence, so he had to be somewhere.
“Harry?” Neville asked curiously.
“What’s up?” Seamus said.
“Um…nothing,” Harry replied distractedly. “Just… Bloody hell, where did he go…”
“Uh, where did who go?” Dean asked, his brow furrowing.
Ron chuckled. “Is he trying to escape?”
“I think that last conversation worried him,” Harry muttered.
Ginny’s eyes went wide. “So he is here,” she said triumphantly. “I thought so.”
“What?” Neville, and everyone else, looked completely confused. “What are you talking about?”
“You know, if you’re trying to hide the fact that I’m here,” Draco said from across the room, pulling off the cloak as he spoke, “don’t you think it’s kind of dumb to talk about me in front of everyone else?”
Harry crossed his arms across his chest and glared at Draco. “You,” he said flatly, “suck at being a Slytherin. You’re possibly the most unsubtle person I know.”
“I’m plenty subtle,” Draco said, turning up his nose and crossing his arms behind his head. “And there’s more to Slytherins than just being subtle. We’re sneaky, too.”
“This is sneaky?” Harry asked incredulously, gesturing wildly at the armchair Draco was sprawled out in. “You should have stayed under the cloak! What were you trying to do, anyway? Were you just going to leave?”
“I wasn’t going anywhere,” Draco said in a bored tone. “I just got tired of standing.”
Harry blinked. “Oh…”
“H-Harry?” Neville said, apparently the first to recover from the shock of finding Draco Malfoy in their common room. “What… What…”
“What the bloody hell is he doing here?” Dean said helpfully.
“Er…” Harry glanced at nothing in particular out of the corner of his eye. “I did tell you he’s alright…”
“You didn’t say he was with you, though!” Seamus exclaimed, bug-eyed.
“Really, it’s okay,” Ginny spoke up. Harry gave her a grateful look. “He’s been staying at my house since the summer.”
Dean’s head snapped around to face Ginny. “He’s been at your house?!”
Ginny shrugged noncommittally.
“So he’s not a Death Eater, then?” Justin said hesitantly. He was watching Draco carefully. When Draco noticed this, he smirked in his direction.
Ron coughed. Harry shot him a glare.
“Harry?” Seamus said.
“Um…”
“Look, let’s just get this over with,” Draco said abruptly, getting to his feet and walking over to them.
“Malfoy,” Harry said warningly.
“Shut up, Potter,” Draco said, and then without another word he pulled up his sleeve.
There were collective gasps from around the room. Harry glanced nervously at the door, hoping no one would be returning from dinner anytime soon.
“Since Potter already tried to tell you my life story,” Draco said, rolling his eyes, “you might as well know that, yeah, I’m a marked Death Eater. Surprise, surprise, I’m sure. I fled after - after that night, though. And…um…” Draco faltered. Harry noticed he wasn’t near as calm as he was pretending to be. He looked a little pale, and he definitely sounded nervous.
“And I found him,” Harry finished, glancing at Draco out of the corner of his eye. “He’s been with me since. Well, me and Ron and Hermione. You can trust - ah, well, maybe not him entirely, but you can trust me. He’s okay.”
“That night…” Neville repeated. “You mean, the night you let the Death Eaters in?”
Draco winced. “Yes. That night. I was supposed to return with Snape, but Dum- …Um. But I was offered protec- …You know what, it’s really none of your business,” he said abruptly. “I’m here now, that’s all that matters.”
“Maybe you have Harry under the Imperius,” Neville said, his eyes narrowing.
“Harry can throw off the Imperius,” both Ron and Justin said simultaneously.
There was a sudden, awkward silence. Draco shifted his weight nervously.
“Don’t suppose we can just Obliviate them, can we?” he mock-whispered to Harry.
“I think not,” he replied dryly. “And this is your fault, anyway. You should have stayed under the cloak.”
“Oh, right, and left you to nance about looking for an invisible person. That would have gone over well! …Actually, it would have been horribly amusing. Damn.”
“I thought you were trying to run off to visit Pansy!”
“Why the hell would I do that? Nothing good would come of it; half of the Slytherins would probably run off and tell their parents I was there…”
“Ah. Good point.”
“I do have them occasionally.”
“Alright,” Neville said suddenly. Harry and Draco both looked at him, startled. “Harry, I trust you. I don’t trust him, but I trust you.”
“Thanks, Neville…”
“I take it we’re not allowed to tell anyone about him?”
Harry laughed nervously. “Um, no, that would probably not be a good idea…”
“I don’t know…” Justin said doubtfully. He seemed to be edging toward the door.
“Hmm,” Seamus said, peering back and forth between Harry and Draco.
“Ron, you’re in on this, too?” Dean asked.
“Eh…” Ron fiddled absently with the cuff of his sleeve. “Yeah,” he mumbled. “You can trust Harry on this one. No worries.”
Dean glanced at Ginny, who nodded, her eyes wide. “Okay, then,” he said, sighing. “My lips are sealed.”
Harry glanced at the last two. “Seamus? Justin?”
“Harry…” Justin said, in an odd kind of pleading tone.
“I think it’s cute,” Seamus declared abruptly, and had Harry been drinking anything he would have spewed it all over the place. As it was, he nearly choked on his own spit.
“What - Seamus!” Harry spluttered, feeling his cheeks burn for no apparent reason.
“What the fuck, Finnigan?” Draco snapped.
Seamus grinned. “I didn’t mean anything by it. Touchy, touchy!”
Justin pinched the bridge of his nose. “Seamus…”
“What? I only meant it was cute that Harry was being so protective of Malfoy-”
“Seamus!” Harry said through his clenched jaw.
“-Especially after rescuing him and everything-”
“Seamus!!”
“He didn’t rescue me,” Draco growled. “That fool Hagrid found me and handed me over to Potter, who all but dragged me back to his bedroom-”
“Did he, now?” Seamus cut in, smirking widely.
Draco’s face slowly turned pink, starting with his nose, his cheeks eventually following, as he clenched his fists.
Ron snorted, or at least Harry thought it was a snort until he turned to look at his friend only to find the other boy trying to muffle his laughter. Even Neville and Dean looked reluctantly amused.
Ginny jut looked annoyed, but Harry was too embarrassed to try and figure out why. He really wasn’t even sure what he was embarrassed about, actually.
“That would excite you, wouldn’t it,” Draco said snidely. “You probably get off thinking about two blokes together.”
“Malfoy!” Harry hissed, more than ready to jump to Seamus’ defense, but whatever response he was expecting from the Irish boy, it was certainly nothing like the one he got.
“Well, yeah,” Seamus said, rolling his eyes and smiling widely. “Where have you been for the last three months? Oh, that’s right, you’ve been shacking up with ickle Harry-kins!”
Draco bristled. “I have not been…” he started to say, but then he trailed off, blinking, before his eyes widened.
Ron’s eyes went wide as well, though he didn’t look quite as shocked as Draco.
Harry was just confused. “Wait… Seamus - what?”
“Oh.” Seamus’ grin faded, and Justin looked extremely uncomfortable. “You mean you didn’t know?
“Know - what?” Harry asked, completely baffled.
“That I’m…um…”
“Gay?” Draco supplied flatly. “Queer? A flaming homosexual?”
Seamus frowned slightly, but didn’t disagree. “Well…yeah, that. To be blunt.”
“Huh?” Harry said eloquently. When had that happened? Seamus definitely hadn’t been…hadn’t been…gay when they were rooming together!
…Right?
“He likes boys, Potter,” Draco said, the flush on his cheeks darkening. “For God’s sake, you’d think you would have caught on by now.”
“No, I got that, thanks,” Harry snapped, flustered and annoyed and a million other things that he couldn’t distinguish at the moment. “I just - I mean - when?”
“For awhile now, actually,” Seamus said sheepishly, not meeting Harry’s eyes. “The beginning of sixth year, at least. But I…ah, came out over the summer, if that’s what you’re asking. Justin and I have been together for a little over a month now.”
Harry’s gaze snapped towards Justin, who blushed magnificently and abruptly looked away. Harry’s own cheeks still felt warm and he still had no idea why. A quick glance at Draco showed that his face was still red as well, and now Harry’s face felt even hotter than before and, bloody hell, what was wrong with him?
“Bollocks,” Seamus muttered. “I hate coming out to people. I’m sorry, Harry, I thought you already knew.”
“N-no, it’s fine,” Harry said, though whether it was actually fine or not was definitely still up for discussion. “I just never thought - I - I mean I don’t care or anything, just… Ron, did you know?” he finally asked desperately, looking wildly at the other boy.
“No.” Ron shook his head, eyes still wide. “I mean, just from today…some parts of the conversation I was wondering…but I didn’t know.”
“You all knew, though, right?” Harry asked, looking from Neville to Dean to Ginny and back again. Each of them nodded.
“I’m the first one he told,” Dean said. “And then he told Neville, since we’re sharing a room and all.”
“Pretty much everyone knows, Harry,” Ginny said. She gestured at Justin and Seamus, who Harry noticed were now tightly clutching each other’s hand. “They’re not trying to hide it from anybody.”
Justin cleared his throat. “We don’t want to be ashamed of it,” he said. “It’s…part of who we are.”
Draco snorted, and Harry felt like his blush has faded enough that he could safely glare at Draco again.
“You’re really okay with it?” Seamus asked.
“Oh - of course,” Harry said, forcing a smile onto his face. “Two guys together, no problem with that at all!” Shit, now he was blushing again.
Draco crossed his arms and glowered in the opposite direction.
“Ron?” Seamus said.
Ron waved his hand dismissively. “Seamus, really, do you think something like that would bother me? I’m pretty sure Percy’s queer, anyway, so I’ve probably got to get used to it.”
Ginny giggled into her hand, sharing an amused look with her brother. “You’re right, he probably is! I never really thought of it before.”
“Well, he’s a git, so I try to avoid thinking about him all together,” Ron muttered, smirking a bit.
Harry chuckled, finally relaxing some. Ron really didn’t seem to be worried about it. He must be overreacting, then.
“Good,” Seamus said, laughing in a relieved way. “I was kind of nervous there for a second.”
“And really, it’s okay if you’re uncomfortable,” Justin said, tugging Seamus closer to his side. “Ernie was a bumbling mess around us for at least a week after we told him.”
“He was, wasn’t he?” Seamus said, smiling up at his - Harry’s brain nearly froze over the word - boyfriend. “Whenever we’d kiss around him, he’d go completely red.” Seamus grinned again, and then, as if to demonstrate this, he kissed Justin right there in front of them.
Draco spun around abruptly, stalking towards the portrait hole.
“Potter, when are we leaving this dump? We’ve been here for ages now!” he called back over his shoulder.
Harry frowned at him. “Put the cloak back on, would you? Everyone else is due back any minute.”
Draco huffed, and then with a final glance at Justin and Seamus - who were still kissing - he whipped the cloak out and disappeared beneath it.
“We probably should go, Harry,” Ron said, carefully keeping his eyes off the kissing couple. “Hermione will be wondering how everything went.”
“Oh. Yeah, you’re right,” Harry said. “See you lot later, then!” He glanced at Seamus and Justin out of the corner of his eye, which proved to be a mistake because now he was all flushed again. Damn. “Are they always like this?” he asked Neville, who shrugged and rolled his eyes a bit in reply.
“Come by again, Harry,” Dean said, standing and following them to the portrait.
“And try to actually read that letter I sent you,” Ginny added.
“Right, I will,” Harry promised. Of course, he had to find it first…
“Bye, Harry!” Seamus called, tearing himself away from Justin long enough to wave goodbye. “I really do think you and Malfoy make a cute couple!”
Ginny squawked, Draco spat curses loud enough to hear from beneath the cloak, Harry spluttered indignantly, and Ron rolled his eyes and seized the moment to push both Harry and Draco out the portrait hole.
“Oh, Harry!” Harry turned, trying to ignore Seamus’ snickering, and arched his eyebrows questioningly at Neville, who was leaning halfway out the entrance. “I’m serious about those coins,” he said, giving Harry a hard look. “If you ever need help with anything, let us know.”
Harry nodded. “I will, Neville. I do appreciate that, you know.”
“Alright then.” Neville grinned. “We’ll be seeing you, Harry!”
The portrait shut behind him, and Ron and Harry just kind of stood there for a moment, looking a bit dazed. Draco’s head popped up beside them.
“I have to admit, I didn’t see that coming,” Ron said, tapping his chin.
Harry pushed a hand through his hair, breathing deeply. “Me neither,” he said. “I…don’t know what to make of it.”
“I had him pegged from day one,” Draco said, lifting his chin. “Bloody obvious, if you ask me.”
“Oh, shut up, Malfoy,” Harry snapped
“You were more shocked than the rest of us,” Ron added. “Should have seen the look on your face…” He snickered as Draco gritted his teeth and began stomping off down the stairs.
Harry gave Ron a disgruntled look, and then set off after Draco.
Who still had his hood down.
“Malfoy! Malfoy, hold up, will you? Malfoy!”
“Piss off, Potter!”
“Okay, one, shut the hell up, and two, put the cloak back on!”
Ahaha, yeah, I like gay!Seamus. So sue me. If you read SWAS, you know I did it in that one, too. It’s a cliché that works, damn it! ^.~
Thanks for reading! No idea when the next chapter will be out, but like usual, I’ll try not to make the gap too long!
~Maxine
next chapter
You can also read it at my website, or at Skyehawke.