Walking up to that bloody train for another ruddy year at Hogwarts was the last thing I had on my mind after the break or lack thereof. Despite Ginny's near constant attempts to win my favor and puzzled looks from Ron when I finally shouted that I simply viewed her as a sister, not some sexual object, I spent most of my summer in the comfort of the room I shared with Ron. However, unbeknownst to him, I spent a surprising amount of time corresponding with a shocking person.
Draco bloody Malfoy.
Even the damn name sent a flutter into my heart. I surmise the bloke turns me into a ruddy girl just through some well used words and elegant penmanship. Even Hermione nodded with agreement as I talked on and on about how perfect he was, despite the evident look of disgust that settled on her face when I prattled on for too long. It was easy to talk to Hermione when I finally figured out what my feelings were. Thankfully, it did not blow up in my face like some of the bloody potions she was working on over the summer.
I had crept up to the door, fist poised to knock, when she opened it first, leaving me in a stunned silence that she broke first, "You aren't exactly quiet, Harry, I heard you standing at the door."
I merely chuckled, "Can't get anything past you, can I, Hermione? Can I come in?"
"May I come in, Harry. How many times do we have to go over this?" She sighed before stepping aside and waving me into the room before hurriedly focusing back on whatever essay she assigned herself as summer work.
I sat on her bed, watching her tap her bottom lip with the end of a feathered quill, before I broke in, "I think I'm gay."
Well, in my rehearsed speech I wasn't going to be so blunt but as I sat there, watching her, all that shit went out the bloody window and it was either confess or run. Hermione, however, sat her quill down, carefully closed her beloved copy of Hogwarts: A History and turned in her seat, a small smile adorning her face before a single lock of curly hair fell in front of it. She walked forward, sat on the bed next to me and pulled me into a short, tight hug.
"It took you long enough to admit it, Harry. I don't mean to sound like Ron, however, what took you so bloody long?"
I shrugged in response and smiled slightly as I remembered the letter sitting on Ron's desk, carefully hidden below books that he would rather die than touch before it was absolutely necessary, wherein Malfoy had taken such care to write For after you tell Granger below my name, "Realizing that I simply adore the stench of cologne soaked blokes, apparently."
Hermione chuckled slightly and gave me one last constricting hug before returning to her spot at the desk, reopening the book and dipping her quill into the pot of dark ink once more, "I'll have Ginny hex you if you come near Ronald. He'd probably go with you for a laugh."
"Feel free to tell him that redheads aren't my type, but, I send my love."
Then, I had quickly turned and fled upstairs to devour Malfoy's letter like Hermione poured over her textbooks. Carefully breaking the wax seal and unfolding the letter with hungry eyes, I began to read:
"Dearest Potter,
You stink, seriously. Have you been borrowing the bloody weasel's cologne again? Actually, don't answer that. You really need to go and buy more of the stuff you normally wear. Although that too is a horrible stench, I can actually stand it unlike the new fumes radiating off your letters.
Now that the insulting portion is out of the way, I hope your confession to Granger went well and did not become some tear fest involving gallons of icecream. Or that she too confessed that she was gay, that would probably kill weasel. Or it would also be bad if she said she had a crush on you this whole time and was merely using the weasel to get closer to you. All the aforementioned cases share the same likelihood so please tell me you are not currently snogging Granger or dripping tears and icecream on here.
I came out to Mother today as well. I guess you may say that you inspired me, you git. She wept for awhile and retired to her study, however, she eventually emerged with a rainbow flag. I'm not sure if I should be relieved or panicked that she will now be asking me questions about the blokes I surround myself with.
Despite all this, thank you, Potter, you encouraged me to do something that I thought I could never do. Dear God, I just fed your ego and hero complex, didn't I? If I get a letter back about how great you are, I swear you will never receive another from me so long as you live.
Yours truly,
Draco Lucius Malfoy"
Grinning like a fool, I moved to my trunk, flipping it open and adding the letter to the pile growing steadily that would soon need to be cut back so I could take anything else to school. I hastily whipped out a sheet of stationary and began scrawling back a letter of sorts.
"Dearest Prat,
I am so proud of you for having the courage to tell your mother. Who knows, you could have been one of the greatest Gryffindors the world has ever seen. Bloody shame you got stuck with Slytherin, I really think you could have made red work.
Hermione actually took the news well. She told me not to go after Ron but, honestly, I find myself attracted to someone else anyways. Besides, Ron thought rats were good pets, that's a bit too much for me.
Despite him being my best mate, I still haven't told the bloke. I'm a bit more worried about how he, and his family, would take it. They've taken me in like their own, I don't want to lose that now. They've already planned my whole life out with Ginny, the poor girl will be in for quite a shock when she finds out.
Sincerely,
The Git"
Rereading through the letter and quickly fixing a few mistakes that Malfoy surely would have called me out for in the next letter, I called Hedwig over, pet her head slightly, and tied the letter to her foot. She hopped on the window ledge and flew off before I could even utter who the letter would go to, but it was clear she knew.
Stifling a chuckle, I turned to see Ron, beat red, reading through a letter that was in the trunk before his angry eyes met mine, "Bloody Malfoy, mate? You're talking to him?"
"You shouldn't be reading those."
He stood up, throwing the letter back with reckless abandonment and sending the whole pile crashing down, "And why the bloody hell not? I thought I was your best friend, not the bloody ferret! And now you and Hermione are keeping secrets from me, too? What the hell is it the the ferret and Hermione know that I simply can't be told, huh?"
I kneeled down and tried to gather a few letters to start rebuilding the pile but a lump formed in my throat, "It's nothing, Ron. You're still my best mate, not Draco-"
"And you're calling him by his first name now? Bloody hell-"
"Ron, it's nothing."
"Right. Nothing. That's always what it is when Hedwig comes with a new letter- nothing. I'm sick of you staying in here and telling me nothing!"
I stood up from the floor and slammed the letters down, whirling around to face Ron, "You wanna know what the bloody hell has been bothering me? I'm gay! I'm gay and I was worried about telling you because I didn't want to lose the one person I care most about!"
Ron once more turned crimson, matching the impressive hue of his hair, and began backtracking, "Harry, I'm sorry, I didn't realize-"
"Just, not now. I'm gonna go Floo down to Diagon Alley. I'll be back later."
And without looking back to the embarrassed redhead, I walked down to the den, smiled at Mrs. Weasley, and grabbed a pinch of Floo Powder. I had every intention of going to Diagon Alley, browsing through a few shops and popping in quickly to the Leaky Cauldron for a Butterbeer or six. Instead, however, my lips formed a different name and I found myself popping out of a fireplace and making an unsteady landing in front of none other than Lucius Malfoy.
"Any particular reason for your visit, Potter?" The blond snarled, a cold, icy look clouding his gray eyes, despite the obvious confusion worming its way through his stone cold facade.
"Just dropping by?"
"Well, as nice as it was to see the 'Chosen One,'" he scoffed, insincerity dripping from his words, "I'm afraid we will have to cut this meeting short. Dreadful hospitality on my part, but-"
"Harry?" Came a deep, yet sweeter voice, belonging to the younger Malfoy before it was quickly covered by a cough, "Potter, really, showing up here like some common whore. I was hoping not to see your scarred face but I guess some wishes don't come true," he mumbled as he pulled me to my feet and muttered a quick cleaning charm that dusted off my shoulders, "Follow me."
Before long, I was situated on Malfoy's bed, staring at him as he paced about the room, "Potter, what are you doing here? You're going to get us both killed."
"I solemnly swear that I did not mean to Floo here, it just kinda slipped out."
"Slipped out?" He barked, stopping to face me, "An address does not simply 'slip out,' Potter."
"Booty call?"
He chuckled at that, shaking his head slightly and sitting on the floor across from me, "I just got your letter, you git. From what I read it didn't seem horrible enough for you to run from the weasel's house."
"How many times have I told you not to call him that?"
"Too many, Potter," he chuckled, running a hand through his hair, "But why did you leave?"
"Well," I began, swallowing down the lump in my throat, "He started reading the letters and asked about the secret. I blurted out that I was gay and, just, ran, I guess."
Draco pulled me into an awkward hug, a mess of unsure body placement and slightly quickened heartbeats. Despite his unfamiliarity, I relished the contact, pleased to just be held for once. His normally gelled hair was unkempt and almost rivalled my own as he pulled away and brought his hand through it, flushing a pale pink as he turned away.
"Do me a favor, Potter, and go home. I'm sure weasel- er, Weasley, is worried about you. I'll send back a long letter and if you go now, my mother won't ask if we were fucking. Of course, I'll correct her and say we were making love. I might even look through old books to see if I can find any spells to cause a wound that looks similar in nature to a hickey."
I stood up, shaking my head in attempts to hide my smile, and walked to the fireplace in his room- of course the prat would have a bloody fireplace in his room.
I took a handful of Floo Powder and smiled at him, "Of course. I'll leave now to save you, Malfoy. It's simply what heroes must do," and threw it in the fire before shouting the address of the Burrow.
As I popped out on the other side and fell flat on my bum, Hermione and Ron rushed over and helped me up, Ron casting a knowing look over to her causing her to leave, "Look, mate, I'm sorry. I didn't realize-"
"It's fine, Ron. Really, it is. I just needed to get out of here for a bit, you know?" I replied, merely brushing myself off without the help of Draco's cleaning charm.
"It's none of my business if you wanna be with other blokes, though. Hermione told me you were going to tell me later, I'm sorry for pushing you, Harry."
I smiled at Ron, nodding to show I accepted his apology, before retiring to the room for the night, skipping dinner. As promised, Draco's owl sat on the window ledge carrying a letter boasting the Malfoy seal that she dropped on the bed before flying around the room. I chuckled at her display and held out a treat that she diligently accepted, swooping down and grabbing it in her beak.
And that's how the break went. Ginny continued to come onto me despite my clear feelings, Ron and Hermione would snog away from Mrs. Weasley's watch, Fred and George continued to play pranks on Ron, testing out their new gadgets, and Draco continued to send me letters, each one longer and more human than the last.
Peering up at the Hogwarts train once again, I felt a feeling of unease fall over me, drenching me in hesitancy. I stood, frozen, until Ron pushed me forward, jolting me back to the present.
"I'll meet you guys inside after a bit, there's a few people I need to talk to, first," I spoke, facing Ron and Hermione.
Truth be told, there was only one person I was meeting up with. A certain blond with something he had apparently been dying to tell me.
"But Neville and Luna already have a compartment saved for us, can't it wait until later?" Ron complained, groaning in annoyance.
"I'll see you both soon," I mumbled, seeing the platinum haired prat already stepping into the train.
"Good luck, Harry," Hermione whispered right as I left, embarking on a new journey.
This better be the first, bloody year nothing goes wrong.