𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐆𝐨

𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈

For anyone who thought that we were still enemies, that would look rather peculiar.

"Ophiuchus, please," I said, rubbing my thumb and forefinger on the bridge of my nose.

"Please what?" she said loudly, "Please ignore the fact that you and him were goggling at each other down the entire hallway? Please ignore the fact that you got together with my worst enemy?"

"Oh, hop off it. It's none of your business."

I could almost still feel the warmth of Draco still lying on my chest. It felt like his hands were still drawing little shapes on my chest as he breathed lightly on my arm.

"None of my business? Are you bonkers?"

Draco decided to take that moment to walk through Ophiuchus' portrait himself. When he saw the two of us speaking, plus the exasperated look in my face, he halted to a stop and glanced from me to her, and then back to me again.

"Sorry," he mumbled to me, "I thought you'd have gotten farther away by now."

"So did I," I glared at Ophiuchus.

"What? Am I so wrong for looking out for my friend?" she yelled at both of us.

I softened my hard stare at her comment. I couldn't imagine that she had too many good friends, if any at all.

No one really bothered to talk to paint on the walls.

"I'll take my leave," Draco said, placing a touch on my arm as he passed me by.

I mustered a smile for him, knowing that Ophiuchus was watching us in disgust, but I didn't care about that.

"Look, I'm sorry I got angry," I turned back to her. "But it's my decision whether or not I 'goggle all the way down the hallway' at a boy."

She softened too. "I don't care that it's a boy. I care that it's that boy," she tilted her head in the direction which Draco had just disappeared.

I sighed, maybe in a bit of relief. I really didn't want to experience everything Dean had told me about that night in detention.

I didn't respond to her, I sort of just stood still and stared, maybe I nodded a bit, but I couldn't remember.

"Do you really like him?" she asked finally.

I didn't even have to think about my answer before it rolled off my tongue.

"Yeah."

"Well, I hope he likes you too," she said, still a tad distastefully, "He doesn't strike me as the type to like anything."

I laughed a little at that, though I know that she didn't say it to be funny.

"Yeah, well. We'll see."

"We'll see."

***

"Dean?" I got his attention as I sat down with him at a table in the common room later that night.

"What's up, Harry?" he said kindly.

"Remember that time we had detention together? And I told you that I knew about you and Seamus?"

"Pretty hard to forget that, mate," he laid his quill down on the wooden table. "What about it?"

"I like someone."

Dean tilted his head to one side at my statement. I could tell that he sort of knew what I meant, but was still confused.

Or, he just wanted to hear me say it out loud.

"Who?"

"I'm not sure they'd want me to say yet," I thought for a moment. "Or at all."

"They?" Dean quirked an amused eyebrow.

I breathed in, deeply. "He."

A bright smile made its way onto Dean's face as he looked at me, almost proudly.

"Ah," he exclaimed, "so this is the good old 'coming out' conversation then?"

"Coming out?" I asked, confused.

"Of the closet."

"Of the– what?"

"You're gay?"

"Well, that's just the thing," I said, "I don't know."

He hummed in what I would have guessed would be understanding. He picked up his quill again and played with the feather, running it through his hands.

"Have you liked a girl before?" He asked me after a couple moments.

"I liked Ginny," I thought about it a little more, "And... maybe Cho?"

"And have you ever liked a guy before this one?"

"I don't think so."

I fixed my eyes on Dean's quill once more,
feeling rather fidgety. I shifted in my seat once or twice and Dean set his quill down again.

"Well," he said, looking me in the eye, "That's just fine. If you like him, then you like him. And if you like another girl later, then that's fine too."

I lowered my gaze to a little coffee stain on the table's finish, rubbing it with my middle finger, thinking that if I rubbed hard enough, it would vanish.

"It's just all so confusing," I sighed.

"Have you kissed?" he asked me, tilting his head again, clearly trying to regain my attention.

"Yes."

"Did he kiss back?"

"Yes."

"And did you enjoy it? Would you want to do it again?"

"Yes."

Dean leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his lap.

"The that's all you need to know for now. Be happy with him. You can think about it later."