Rejection and Acceptance

The days passed rather quickly for Harry. Ron would glare at him no matter where they were if he wasn't completely ignoring him. No matter how many times Harry tried to talk to him Ron would ignore him, move or leave. It didn't help of course that he had to spend a lot of time with Draco. They had five out of seven classes together this year, even though normally they only had three or four. Walking through the halls with Draco since they had to work together and were slowly becoming friends made the students gape and whisper and rumours abounded.



Sitting at Gryffindor table for lunch with the twins one day, wrapped in his cloak like they'd ordered, Harry wondered why. Within moments he found out. Since no one was watching him or keeping secrets as they didn't know he was around, he got to hear the whispers.



"Well, I heard Draco 'imperioed' Harry." Said a first-year Hufflepuff.



"Ridiculous, Draco isn't strong enough." A Ravenclaw sitting at the table with them scoffed. "Harry is the one who 'imperioed' Draco. Haven't you noticed that everytime Harry wiggles his fingers Draco jumps up and leaves the Great Hall?"



"Perhaps, but Draco nods once, then twice, then once again right before Harry wiggles his fingers!" The girl insisted.



A second-year hufflepuff boy, listening in scoffed at them both. "You're ridiculous. Imperio is way too advanced for EITHER of them to know. Just cause they decided to go out and have signals for when to meet up and where doesn't mean they're controlling each other." This caused Harry to choke on the pumpkin juice he was drinking beneath his cloak, and the group at the table looked over at the twins curiously, so Fred pretended he had choked at something George said.



The three Gryffindors quickly got up before Harry was caught and walked towards the Entrance Hall. On the way there George passed Harry an extendable ear. Putting one end in his ear, he dis-illusioned the other and sent it on it's way towards a group of mixed Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff fourth and fifth years.



"Well I know for a fact that Ron is mad at Harry because he suspects Harry cheated on him." One girl claimed.



"Oh, and how do you know that?" A boy challenged.



"Well, Hermione told Lavender, and Parvati SWEARS she did. Anyway, they told Hannah Abott and i guess she told Loony Lovegood, cause Loony was talking about it to her kneazles or something. Anyway, Milly, a Slytherin you know, anyway, she overheard Loony and she hopped over to tell Pansy, and you know Pansy, such a blabbermouth, well she told Blaise and several others and well Dean Thomas overheard it and started talking about it to Seamus Finnigan, and well Finnigan was trying to see what his mates thought about it and then my boyfriend heard it and told me." The girl finished triumphantly.



Harry had cast a one-way silencio spell around himself and the twins so no one would hear his giggles as he clutched the twins in order to not fall down and roll on the ground laughing.



"Well, there are so many rumours floating around we figure we should make a few too."



"You know how Creevey likes to take pictures."



"Well we found a camera and took a picture of lots of random things."



"The last one is"



"A blurry shot"



"Of two"



"Random"



"People"



"In the"



"Dungeons." The twins whispered excitedly.



"We figure."



"We can"



"Get people"



"To believe"



"It's you and"



"Draco. But..."



"We need"



"your permission"



"Harry."



"You wouldn't"



"Deny us..."



"Would you?" The twins turned pleading gazes on where they thought Harry was.



"I... uh... um, well you see..." Harry stammered. Then seeing Draco he got an idea. "You have to ask Draco as well see? He's be in danger if you did this!"



"Draco milad!!!" George called out



"'Cmere! We have"



"A question"



"For you!" Fred finished.



Draco walked over and grumbled at them. "Can't you talk like normal people?"



"What would be"



"The fun in that?" The twins questioned as Draco yelped having stumbled into the still invisible Harry. Shooting up another silencing spell, Harry smacked the boy who ran into him.



"Be careful next time!" Harry pouted.



"Are you hiding in your cloak again?" Draco demanded. "It's not like i knew you were there!"



"Whatever." The twins shut them up. Then they proceeded to explain their wishes to Draco and begged the boy to help them in their quest. With a sigh Draco agreed after five minutes of their pleading. Then Draco's eyes lit up, and he undid the silencing charm.



Standing up with his head held high he snapped a biting retort to the twins. "I will NOT tell you what I did with that camera! Creevey had NO right to take that picture and it serves him right that he lost it!"



Catching on the twins glared at the silver-haired boy. "We know you threw it"



"Into one of the garbages"



"Just tell us WHICH one"



"So we can get it back to him."



"It's his camera anyway!"



"Whyever would I do that? Neither me, nor Harry need pictures of us spread around the school. If your so interested in finding it, go look for a blue half-burnt camera! You'll be lucky if you even get one picture out of it." Draco snapped before huffily stalking away.



"Fine!" Fred snapped.



"We'll find it!" George bit out and then the twins flounced back into the entrance hall. Harry stared where he was, leaning invisibly on the wall watching the students who were absolutely silent. Once the three visible people had turned the corner loud whispers erupted and students ran to find their friends and tell them of the outburst.



Once everyone had disappeared, Harry drew off the cloak and slid down the wall laughing histerically. Shoving his cloak into his bag he watched Draco strut towards him.



"Well, what did you think?" Draco smirked.



"THAT was HILARIOUS." Harry giggled. "Wonder how long it will take people to dive into the garbages."



"Well, I believe they have... Unfortunately for them, they will have to wait until five to find that camera." Draco grinned.



"Yeah. Have you HEARD the rumours going around the school?" Harry asked.



"Which one? The one where I'm a girl, pretending to be a boy, and you found out and we're shagging? The one you hexed me into a girl so you could shag me? The one where I'm your sex-slave and if I say one more mean thing to you I'm going to be shagged by the entire Gryffindor group?" Draco asked raising his eyebrows.



"WHAT?" Harry asked gaping at him.



"Oh then you mean the ones where you've accepted to be the Slytherin whore and you're so good we decided not to be mean to you anymore... Or the one we both turned Ron into our un-willing sex-slave and that's why he's so mad at us... Or the one where you're a girl and Ron found you giving me a blow job and that's why he's so mad?"



"Oh my bloody hell. Where DID you find these rumours?" Harry gasped.



"Pansy is still a gossipmonger of course. She hears everything and passes on the tidbits to me, since everyone is too scared to speak around me." Draco smirked.



"Well have you heard the ones where we've 'imperioed' each other adn have different signals meaning different things? Or the one where we're shagging like bunnies mutually and have signals to meet in different places? And WHY are all these rumours insisting we're shagging? We've never even held hands." Harry puzzled over the thought.



"Cause this is a school where hormone driven teens are out to think of anything they can get off on. And since you are the second hottest guy in this school, they all get off on imagining you with sexy people." Draco answered smirking.



"Thanks I think... wait! SECOND?" Harry demanded.



"Well of course. There is no one sexier or hotter than MOI, Draco Malfoy!" Draco grinned. Harry laughed and stuck his tongue out at his new friend. Since his other friends kept pushing him away, and he had been stuck with Draco constantly for school work for the past week and a half, they had formed a friendship. It was nothing like the one he had shared with his two best friends, but it was a casual friendship.



The two parted ways and Harry returned to Gryffindor tower, spotting seven students rummaging through garbage bins and unnumerable people giving him curious glances.



Finally arriving at Gryffindor tower he greeted the Fat Lady.



"How are you today dear?" The painting asked.



"In pretty high spirits." Harry answered grinning.



"Well, that wouldn't be because of any new... friendships would it?" The Fat Lady asked believing herself subtle.



"As a matter of fact it is." Harry grinned knowing what she was truly asking and that he was fueling the paintings gossip. "Well I better get in now, I have potions in a few moments. Climbing the stairs to his dorm room, he grabbed his bag and potions text and ran upstairs an extra two flights to see the Weasley twins and their best friend Lee Jordan alone and talking.



Hearing a knock, the three boys looked up and waved Harry into the room. "What's up?"



"You guys are hilarious." Harry said flopping onto one of the twins bed.



"We know. We're trying to think of other rumours to spread." Lee laughed.



"Well have you heard them all? There's a few of Draco being a girl, one I'm a girl, a couple where we're sex-toys or Ron is ours, that's why he's so mad." Harry grinned summarizing the rumours quickly. The other three boys burst out laughing. "The one thing almost every rumour has in common is that me and Draco are shagging." Harry rolled his eyes.



"Better hop"



"To it then." The twins laughed grinning lascivously at him.



"Can i touch you here? How 'bout here, here? Draco won't be mad will he?" Lee teased as he poked Harry in the arms, shoulders and legs. Tackling the other boy, Harry laughed. Seeing their best friend losing, the twins joined the battle and pinned Harry to the floor poking him and tickling him. Their laughter echoed down the staircase and students in the common room climbed the stairs in a rush, tripping each other to see what was happening.



Ron Weasley reached the top at the same time as Colin Creevey who immediately began snapping pictures. Ron gaped at the four boys in amazement. Then he started to go red as his brain put the vision in front of him into place... As he thought it right.



"How could you guys? First with Malfoy of all people and now with my BROTHERS?" Ron demanded. "You are SO BLOODY FUCKING DISGUSTING!" Ron burst out, before turning around and racing back downstairs.



All the way up the staircase people heard him shouting as he 'talked' to Hermione. Running lightly down the stairs he heard what Ron was saying more and more clearly.



"...WASN'T TRUE. BUT NOW YOU HAVE TO ADMIT HE IS. I SAW HIM WITH MY OWN EYES! WITH MY BROTHERS NO LESS! HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN HE BE SHAGGING!" Ron's screaming voice echoed around the almost silent room.



"Do you have proof?" Hermione asked in a low voice, that sounded like a whisper in the silent room.



"Creevey! He took pictures of upstairs, and he caught pictures of him with Malfoy. But Malfoy destroyed that camera." Ron answered, still yelling, but not quite as loud this time.



"Well maybe it's what he wants. We know he's not under the imperius or any potion, I tested it myself." Hermione answered, making Harry gasp.



"You, you did WHAT!?" Harry demanded.



"Harry, Harry please. Think of it from our place. You're spending so much time with Malfoy and you don't talk to us and what are we supposed to think or do?" Hermione pleaded.



"I HAVE to spend time with Draco! I have FIVE classes with him! If I want to pass my year I have to do my homework with him! And Draco has been nicer than either of you two! He didn't perform magic on me without knowing, he TALKS to me and asks me questions. HE doesn't run away from me when I try and talk to him!" Harry burst out before Ron interupted him.



"DRACO??? When has Malfoy EVER been DRACO to you?" Ron demanded incensed.



"Since HE'S been my FRIEND! Since he's been here to support me, and help me and not get incensed over some stupid little thing. Since HE'S not the one that forced the ENTIRE school to be paired up in classes with people they may or may not like. Since HE'S grown up you addle-brained bloody-stupid rat-loving GIT!" Harry shouted at Ron.



Ron stared at Harry, his face changing with a wide range of emotions. Starting from shocked and ending in fury. "Don't you ever, EVER talk to me again! You are NOT the Harry Potter I knew and I do NOT ever want to talk to you again! You, you you snake-loving butt-munching whore!" Ron threw at Harry. Turning to Hermione he demanded. "Are you going to trust him? Does he SEEM like the Harry Potter we became friends with?"



"I... I... I don't know." Hermione muttered turning red in shame. "Harry you're not who you were, but Ron I don't think he's like Draco, not really."



"So you're taking HIS side eh?" Ron snapped close to tears in his fury. "FINE!" And stormed out of the common room.



"Are you really friends with Malfoy?" Hermione asked.



"Yes, yes I am. And I'm not gonna stop Hermione. He's not that bad a guy."



"Well, I can'tbe friends with him Harry. You know what he's like. Especially around me. I don't WANT to be around him. Not for anyone. I'm sorry." She said walking out the door and looking for Ron.



Harry threw himself into an armchair and glared angrily at the fire. Then, remembering he had class he jumped up and ran out the door. Arriving in class just in time to slip into the chair beside Draco panting heavily, Harry heaved a sigh of relief.



"Well now class. You have the first thirty minutes of class to finish the potion on your desk. Begin... NOW." Proffessor Snape announced and with a wave of his wand a paper appeared on each partnered desk and the pairs got to work. Even though Ron and Blaise had calmed down somewhat before, Ron was very much hounding Blaise for a fight.



Hermione was not very friendly with Pansy, but she was civil enough that they could get the job done, and done well. So the class passed rather uneventfully, though Ron lost several points for yelling at his partner out of whom there was no response.



After potions, the class tripped off for Defence Against the Dark Arts with their newest Proffessor Lupin. On the way there, those students who were able to be friendly with their partners walked with them, discussing one or another of their shared classes. Ron and Hermione walked to the right most side of the corridor, Blaise and Pansy to the left-most. Most of the other students in their class were somewhere in-between. Harry and Draco walked in the center of the Hall discussing Harpies. The subject of their upcoming class.



After this was dinner which passed without fighting incidents, but Dumbledore spoke half-way through the meal.



"I wish to inform everyone to stay AWAY from the Forbidden Forest, as well whenever possible stay away from the edges of the school property. From now on we will have dementors guarding our borders as the search for Sirius Black has turned up fruit-less. Everyone going to Hogsmeade will have to pass the dementors and teachers and hogsmeade as well will be guarded by dementors. Do NOT, under ANY circumstance, go outside after curfew. As a matter of fact, you will spend the last hour of curfew indoors. The dementors should not come near the school and if they do they should not harm you, but we wish to take no chances, understood?" Dumbledore looked around the room with grave sincerity and continued. "Anyone who was not here for this announcement, I expect to have heard about it from their friends, classmates and peers. Do we understand each other?" Choruses of "Yes Proffessor Dumbledore rang throughout the hall" As dumbledore sat back down.



Harry finished his meal and met Draco at the doors to make their way to the Library and work on their homework for Potions and DADA. They talked about dementors as well and Harry conffessed that Sirius Black was his godfather, and Draco admitted to having known that, but not wanting to bring it up since he didn't know how touchy of a subject it was. They stayed in the library until right before curfew, and heard the gossip of how some Ravenclaw student had at five thirty found a half-melted camera and was currently trying to develop what was left on the film from Pansy.



Exiting the library the duo parted ways to return to their dormitories. Harry reached the common room and met up with the laughing twins. They talked about the gossip for a bit, before they retired to their rooms, the last of a bunch. Harry tried to open the shut door, but no spell he knew could open the locked door. Furious, he stomped downstairs and out into the hall. Walking around for fifteen minutes brought him face-to-face with a Proffessor Snape.



"Well well well, what have we here? A Gryffindor out of bed?" Snape drawled smirking.



"Yes, sir. I was looking for a proffessor." Harry admitted.



"Oh and why may I ask?" Snape asked still smirking.



"They locked me out of my room!" Harry ranted furious.



"Oh, and did you try alomorah?" Snape sneered.



"Of COURSE I did. NOTHING worked. I need to sleep and I can't get into my dorm room. I can't sleep on the couches, and I don't know what to do." Harry finished pleading with Snape.



"Fine, for the night I shall allow you to sleep in the Slytherin rooms if they allow it." Snape sighed and led the way downstairs and knocked on the Slytherin common room door. When Draco opened the door, Snape informed him of the problem and requested him to allow Harry to spend the night. Draco obliged, getting out of Harry's way and then leading him to his room. Removing a pair of silk pyjama bottoms, Draco threw them at Harry to wear for the night and grabbed a pair for himself.



"We'll have to share my bed of course, but it's plenty big for two." Draco announced. Harry agreed teasing.



"Well only if you PROMISE not to start shagging me. You know, we're only allowed to shag in alcoves and whatnot upstairs." Laughing the two got in Draco's bed and faced opposite ways finding sleep quickly.



The next morning, the two boys woke early cuddled in each other's embrace. Once they realised this they both jumped back blushing. Rising, Harry took up his clothes from the day before and started to get into the bathroom.



"You're not wearing THOSE again are you?" Draco asked scandalised.



"Only to get to my room and change." Harry admitted confused.



"No, wear these. We're about the same size." Draco threw a Slytherin themed shirt and pants at Harry. Harry accepted them and changed, the clothes fitting him just a bit more snugly than they did Draco. But he still looked rather good.



"I'll return them at lunch." Harry promised and exited the dorm. When he got to the picture there was no sign of the Fat Lady and the picture had been cut. Harry ran to get Dumbledore.



*AN* I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. I've been kinda sick. I hope this really long chapter (at least comparatively) makes up for it. Hope every one likes it and PLEASE review. Everyone is able to review on my story, even if you're not signed in or if you aren't registered. so please write reviews, i love them and i really do need them. Thanks all



Crazy Pedantic - well it's a lot more friendly terms between Harry and Draco this chapter. Not so much Harry and his two best friends. Hope you liked it!



Veracityrules- Yes i read that story and i realized it's a story i've already read and liked very much. Perhaps we have some of the same tastes XD hope you read my story and liked it.



Madame de Coeur - hope you like this chapter as well.



I also hope everyone else who has already reviewed keeps reading and please review!