Gold Tinted Spectacles (Hecatemus Book #1)

Chapter 30 - Home (pt2)

"How did you know you were gay?" the question came as such a shock that the emotion actually made it to Draco's face before he could stop it.

He looked at Dudley in surprise, putting the knife down where he had just cut the second sandwich in two.

"Pardon?" he said eventually, wanting to make sure he had heard correctly.

"How did you know you were gay?" Dudley repeated quietly.

Draco had the sudden urge to laugh, but managed to sit on it when he realised it was a serious question.

"I didn't," he found himself answering truthfully.

Dudley looked confused.

"I have never bothered to consider the question," Draco clarified his statement. "If I want something I tend to just reach out and take it, which includes people. I snogged my first girl when I was eleven and my first boy when I was twelve: it didn't really bother me either way."

This honesty caused Dudley to just stand there with the word 'Oh' on his lips, but not actually saying anything. It finally occurred to Draco that the silence might never be broken if he left it to the Muggle.

"Why did you want to know?" he asked. "Do you think you might be gay?"

Dudley shook his head vigorously and started blathering something about a friend, but Draco didn't believe him for a second. For a start he doubted Dudley had any friends he would care that much about.

"You don't lie very well," Draco said eventually when the stream of denials ran dry. "Muggle," he continued pointedly, "if this wasn't bothering you, you'd never have plucked up the courage to talk to me. Now that I am here and I have decided not to turn you into a toad, take the opportunity for what it is. Why do you think you might be gay?"

Draco was actually at a loss as to why he was allowing this conversation to continue; he could only assume Harry's bad habits were rubbing off on him. Dudley did not reply for some time.

"There's this boy at college," the Muggle finally began, "and I sort of had a dream about him."

"And you think that might make you gay," Draco was stating a fact not asking a question, but Dudley nodded anyway. "Okay, when you," he almost went for the crudest expression he could find, but then decided that would be lowering himself to Dudley's level, "play with yourself, do you fantasise about girls, boys or both?"

Dudley was doing the staring thing again, but it looked as if he was actually thinking about his answer.

"Girls," he concluded eventually.

"Never boys?" Draco wanted to make absolutely sure that the slow-witted Muggle had not missed the point.

Dudley shook his head.

"Congratulations, you're straight," he said and picked up the sandwiches he had made. "The dream was just that; a dream, welcome to the truth about puberty, if a bit late. Now good night, please never speak to me again."

Without waiting for a response, Draco turned with his burden and walked back towards the stairs. Only when he had opened the door to Harry's room, gone in and closed it again did he speak.

"I think I'm scarred for life," he said and put the sandwiches down on the desk.

Harry looked up questioningly from where he was reading yet another book about Quidditch.

"Your cousin thought he might be gay," Draco explained with a grimace, "and I now have mental images I never imagined."

"Don't share," Harry said quickly and he was only half joking. "Dudley, gay? I wouldn't believe it unless I saw it."