It\'s Only Love, What Is Everyone So Afraid Of?

Disclaimer: Do I own them








Disclaimer:
Do I own them? *twitch* Do I *look* like a millionaire to you? NO!

 

A/N: So
there is no confusion…the majority of this chapter is a series of flashbacks.
And again, mad props to Jasmine for finding the time to beta this fic and reassure me that I am not alone in my H/D
obsession. *grin*

 

Chapter 7B…………Draco Malfoy
the servant.

*********************************************

 

Harry looked
over at the head of blonde hair next to him. The owner of said hair, being Draco Malfoy, ld sod so peaceful
when he was sleeping. He lost his attitude, and not a smirk could be found on
his face which was buried in the crook of Harry’s neck. Harry kissed the top of
his head and sighed. ad bad been all in all…a nice month despite a
few…misunderstandings.

 

**********************************************

 

*FLASHBACK*

 

Halfway up
the stairs, Harry found he could no longer contain his excitement and claimed
his host with a searing kiss, his hands on either side of Draco’s
face…forcing him to relent. Not that Draco needed forcing.
Never breaking the contact, the two managed to clumsily get the rest of the way
up the stairs, tripping several times, but falling over only once. An observer (had
one been present) might note the grace both boys seemed to posses being able to
get up off the floor, never once relinquishing the other’s tongue to the cool
air. Finally at the top of the stairs, Draco drew his
lips away from Harry reluctantly, drawing out the Gryffindor’s
bottom lip with his teeth as he withdrew. Harry whimpered slightly, and backed Draco up against the closest wall. The blonde had to take a
quick moment to catch his breath before speaking. The two faces still only a
few inches apart, Harry could feel the quickened breath on his cheeks, and it
tingled down to the back of his knees.

 

Draco
kneaded his hands in Harry’s hair and finally managed to breathe out “Bath or shower?”

 

Harry, who’d
been observing the pulse point on Draco’s neck from,
what he considered, much too far a distance, lowered his head to nip at the
spot. Draco leaned his head back as much as possible,
as he was against a wall, and ended up lolling his head to the side to give his
companion better access…whether this was intentional, or reflex, Harry didn’t
care. He glanced up briefly at the flour falling from the tilted blonde head…a
smile coming to his lips at the tousled hair that normally looked so pristine.
He managed to speak in between laying kisses on the neck offered before him.

 

“Don’t…*kiss*….care….*kiss*…whatever’s…*kiss*….closest…*kiss*…”

 

Draco
reached behind him and slightly to the left feeling the wall behind him for a
door. He was fairly certain this was a bathroom…there were so many rooms in the
house, one hardly could keep track, let alone know about *every* bathroom. He
fumbled for the doorknob, neck stieanteant back, Harry’s face still quite busy
there. Finally reaching his goal, he pulled Harry slightly left and the pull
sent Harry’s weight into Draco right at the same time
Draco managed to get the door open. The result being
two very excited powdery boys tumbling to the floor of a random guest room.
Both of them looked up at their surroundings. Harry, thinking of how one of the
many spare rooms in this house was nicer than any room he’d ever had. Theocusocusing on the bed in the center, he shifted back to Draco,
then to the bed, then to Draco.

 

‘So it’s not a shower…big deal.’ Harry thought.

 

He grabbed Draco by the front of his shirt and yanked him forward,
picking up where they had left off. He managed to scoot backwards within the kiss,
dragging Draco with him towards the bed. Finally at
his destination, Harry ran his hands up the side of the bed feeling for
something to grip and pull his weight up. This seemed
to bring Draco back to reality and he pulled quickly
out of the kiss.

 

“Harry, No!”

 

Harry looked
around, confused, then settled on Draco
expecting the Slytherin to have cold feet once again.


 

“What? Is
something wrong?”

 

Draco
blinked. “No...it’s just we’re covered in flour…we’ll
get it all over the place in here.”

 

Harry let out
the breath he didn’t even know he was holding. “Is that all? You worried me…I
thought it was something important.”

 

Draco’s
eyes grew wide. “It *is* important…I can see it now…what I’ll tell my father
when he asks why the antique duvet is ruined… ‘Oh, Father…terribly sorry about
all that…I was just rutting Harry Potter!’”

 

Harry
scowled; he did *not* want to think of Lucius Malfoy at a time like this.

 

“Fine then.” Harry
dove for Draco, knocking him on his back and pinning
him underneath him for the second time that day. After Draco
let out a squeak of surprise at the attack, Harry let out a rather husky “Where
were we?” and resumed his alt olt on Draco’s neck and
collar bone, just peeking out from the top of his shirt.

 

Draco’s
hands, which had reflexively imbedded themselves in Harry’s hair, loosened
their grip and moved down the tanned neck and across quidditch
toned shoulders with a slight nervous shake. Despite his nervous trembling, Draco’s hands remained every bit as graceful as when they
scrawled a potions essay…long, cool fingers gliding effortlessly across
parchment, almost as if choreographed, with the same free poise of a
butterfly’s dance. Harry was of the opinion that the grace in those fingers was
inborn, something that no amount of training nor money could create. Every part
of Draco carried that grace within…the elegance that
made Harry want not to posses him, but simply be *near* him constantly…drinking
it in.
bsp;bsp;

Those
hands…those very same hands, with nails that raked over skin and left fire in
their wake, moved down Harry’s back slowly…achingly…and to the hem of his
shirt. Fingers found their way to skin and Harry fought off a giggle at the
slightly ticklish feeling. The fingers made their way to the front of Harry’s
shirt, to the buttons. For all their grace and elegance, the fingers became
slightly inept when it came to undoing the buttons. Rather than believe he was
fumbling, Draco deduced that the source of the
problem must be his inability to actually see the buttons due to Harry’s attentions
to his neck. Placing his hands on the chest pressed next to his, he pushed
gently, causing Harry to sit up, before those same hands immediately sought out
their previous task. After two more unsuccessful attempts and a chuckle from
Harry, Draco began to lose his patience.

 

“Oh for fucks sake!” And gripping either side of the shirt Draco
yanked furiously, sending buttons popping off in all directions.

 

Harry looked
stunned for a moment, surprised at Draco’s unexpectedthodthod of shirt removal, but quickly regained his composure, and realized just
how much of a turn on a forceful Draco could be.
Harry sat upright, looking down on Draco who looked
back up at him expectantly. When Harry didn’t move, Draco
tightened his grip on the sides of the shirt, using them to yank Harry back
down to him. Harry was more than happy to oblige.

 

As lips and
teeth and tongue met with fervor, Draco slid his
hands into Harry’s shirt, sliding it off his shoulders…much like he had the
first night they spent together. Harry lifted his hands to allow the white
material to fall from his wrists. Once free from his upper garment, Harry
dipped his head to the pale stomach of his lover, lifting the dark grey fabric
of his shirt with his fingers, running calloused hands along chiseled abs as he
did so.

 

The slight
roughness of Harry’s hands againss sts stomach caused Draco
to gasp and arch his back, giving Harry the opportunity to run his hands along the
writhing boy’s sides and around to the small of his back. As more skin revealed
itself, Harry leaned his head forward to place light, feathery kisses along the
alabaster torso…fingers working the shirt ever upward. Once the kisses reached
the chest beneath him, rising and falling dramatically with gasps and shaky
breaths, Draco raised his arms over his head to allow
Harry to sweep the offending article of clothing completely off before
embracing his lover.

 

They were
still for a long moment, just enjoying the skin to skin contact…as they always
did. When their lips met again, Draco managed to
breathe out against Harry’s mouth.

 

“Shower?” As he nodded his head in the direction of the bedroom’s private
bathroom.

 

Harry
surveyed the distance of roughly two to three meters. Deciding the journey was,
indeed, too far, Harry simply shook his head, the scant remnants of flour
falling around him. He placed more kisses and nips at Draco’s
throat and jaw as his hands sought out the button acting as the last barrier
between the two. Soon enough, practiced fingers found their goal and the clasp
was no match for Harry Potter whose unbuttoning skills were far greater than
his lover’s. Rough fingers, with chewed fingernails, that smelled and tasted
faintly of dirt and vanilla snaked to the taut skin below a pale belly button. Draco shuddered noticeably, shaking and making soft mewling
noises with his forehead pressed against Harry’s shoulder. Harry bent his head to the shell of an ear,
whispering to make sure “Are ykay?kay?”

 

Draco, at
a loss for words, nodded his head in the affirmative.

 

Harry was
about to move his hand lower still when a strangled plea rung out from the
swollen lips of his lover.

 

“Unngh…stop.”

 

Harry did
just that. He froze. Not because it was requested of him, but because he simply
could not believe Draco would want to back out now.

 

‘Please please please
please…s’too much…I don’t
want to have to bludgeon him and have my wicked way to keep me from going
insane.’

 

Draco felt
Harry tense, and moved his hands to cup the Gryffindor’s
cheeks, turning the emerald gaze towards him and staring intently into the
green orbs before speaking.

 

“It’s okay…I
just….” He flushed slightly. “I just want to see you.”

 

Harry let
out a small laugh of relief and brought their foreheads together.

 

“Okay”

 

He stood,
taking a step back, as to allow Draco viewing room.
Catching a reassuring smile from the gorgeous face below him, Harry proceeded
to unfasten the buttons on his trousers, then pushing both pants and underwear
down in one smooth movement. He sat back down on the floor beside Draco, pulling the material from his ankles.

 

Draco
snaked an arm around Harry’s neck and gently brought them both back to lie on
the floor, only this time, they would lie on their sides, facing one another.
While fingers skimmed over newly exposed flesh, tracing it, claiming it, Draco gazed appreciatively at Harry before saying softly
“Every part of you is beautiful.”

 

Harry closed
his eyes for a long, slow moment, taking it all in. “Every part is yours.”

 

It didn’t
take long, that first time. They knew it wouldn’t, once the last of Draco’s clothing had been removed. They had waited so long,
and the complete skin on skin contact and friction proved too much. They had
simply gripped each other fiercely; Harry’s hands around Draco’s
waist and Draco’s hands clutching Harry’s shoulders,
embracing so tightly that even light would not fit between them, enjoying the
friction.

 

When it was
over the two laid there, silent and still clag ong onto one another, for what
seemed like an eternity…both of them bewildered at the new sensations. Both
were thinking absently about previous experiences with other people and how
horribly inadequate they were in retrospect when compared to what they’d just
experienced. Draco thought of his few experiences
with Pansy…it was expected of him after all…and how for the longest time, he’d
thought sex was ‘just okay’. Harry thought of how much
emotion truly does morph physical pleasure…concluding that it is not, indeed,
speculation that making love is preferable to just ‘sex’, but fact. This
was a small step forward, but a wonderful one none the less. Both of them
looked forward to continuing their explorations in time. Both lost in their
reveries, eventually slipped off to sleep, taking in a nap before dinner.

 

*END
FLASHBACK*

 

*********************************************************

 

Harry smiled
at the memory. They’d had several similar encounters since that weekend at the
Manor. He had hated returning to Hogwarts, ironically, as the school was the
only place he had ever considered home. He found the domesticity he shared with
Draco to be extremely enjoyable though, and did not
want to leave it. Absently running his fingers through the platinum hair beside
him, Harry thought over the rest of the month that had passed since that
weekend.

 

It was now
common knowledge at Hogwarts that Harry Potter and Draco
Malfoy were actually *gasp* friendly to each other
when they crossed paths. Draco really had put in an
effort to show Harry he was not ashamed of him, even if he had absolutely no
desire to divulge the true nature of their relationship to any living soul.
Harry had been satisfied with that…for now.

 

He frowned a
bit when he recalled some of their conversations throughout the month though.
Conversations that had confused him, and made him anxious…

*********************************************

 

*FLASHBACK*

 

After a
particularly pleasing friction fest one evening, Harry and Draco
lay spent and sated on Harry’s bed…the both of them on their backs, staring up
at the ceiling.

 

“Draco?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Do you ever
think about the future?”

 

“Sure…doesn’t
everyone?”

 

“I suppose.”
A pause. “So…what do you think…when you think about
the future?”

 

Draco
hesitated a moment before answering. “My name…making it clean again…making sure
it stays clean after I am gone.”

 

Harry
considered this answer. Draco was the only heir of
the Malfoy fortune. If he wanted the name to maintain
its meaning after him…that must mean he intends to have children.

 

“So you want
an heir then?”

 

“Of course.”
Draco chuckled a bit. “A Malfoy without an heir? I’d be ending a
multi-century lineage. *That’s* how I want to go down on my family tree…as the
one who chopped it down.”

 

Harry
laughed a bit at Draco’s humor, but inside his
stomach was flip flopping in confusion. Did Draco
intend to leave him? Harry knew that he, unfortunately, did not possess
ovaries, or a uterus and therefore, logically, could not produce Draco an heir. Did Draco intend
to continue this affair even after he’d married and had his child?

 

Harry
finally calmed himself enough to sound nonchalant and continue the
conversation. Maybe this way he would get some answers.

 

“So who is
supposed to give you this heir?”

 

“Pansy I
presume, at least that’s what I’ve been told most of my life…but it’s not of
great consequence…more business than anything…”

 

Harry was
shocked with how casually Draco had given his answer.
He *presumed*? Did Draco have *no* say in this? How
could he lie down so easily and be told how to live his life? Who to live his
life with? Who would bear his children? Harry was angry at Draco’s
father for instilling such blind obediencehis his son, and disappointed with Draco at the same time, for not having the courage to think
for himself. He could understand not wanting to tell
everyone about his sexual preference…but letting someone else run every aspect
of your life? Harry saw it as utter nonsense. His voice took on a slightly
harder edge.

 

“How could
you do that, Draco?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“Marry
someone you don’t love…you don’t even like women!”

 

“You
wouldn’t understand Harry.”

 

“Oh? Try
me.”

 

“It’s just
the way things are…my name means a lot of things…fag isn’t one of them.”

 

Harry’s
mouth dropped open at Draco’s rather blunt statement.
He could feel himself growing angrier.

 

“Is coward
one of them?”

 

He had Draco’s alert attention now.

 

“Excuse me?”
The blonde all but hissed.

 

“You heard
me.”

 

“I’m going
to pretend I didn’t.” And Draco turned away from him.

 

Harry
grabbed Draco’s arm and turned him back around,
forcing him to look at him.

 

“You’re
going to pretend? That’s all you ever do, Draco…don’t
you ever get tired of living an enormous lie?”

 

Draco
scoffed. “You’re one to talk, as I recall…you’ve been keeping me company here
in the closet.”

 

Harry jabbed
a finger at the smart mouthed Slytherin, furious.
“*I* am not ashamed of what I am. You’re right about the closet…but it’s *not*
because I’m scared…and you bloody well know it! I’m the god damned Boy Who
Lived and coming out to *my* friends means coming out the entire fucking wizarding world! I may omit this…” He gestured back and
forth between the two of them “but I don’t pretend to be something I’m not!”

 

Draco
began to push right back at Harry, forcing him to back up. “And *I’m* the one
who lets other people run my life? At least I accept my traditions…the
traditions of my *family*…you let hordes of faceless, nameless people run your
life…and to this day you can’t accept that they will never let you go. You are
always going to be the Great Harry Potter to them! Make something of your name
or Get. The. Fuck. Over. It.!”

 

Harry was
flushed with anger now, his brilliant green eyes flashing dangerously. “Family traditions?! I’m sorry to inform you Draco, but I’d rather not know what kind of ‘family
traditions’ the Malfoy’s could possibly come up with.
It’s just a continuous cycle of control and self-denial. Some
family!”

 

Draco
clenched his fists at his sides. He had grown up a spoiled child. He had never
wanted for anything and had possessions at 5 years old that most grown adults
can only dream of. He was doted on and fussed over, always receiving anything
he should ask for. Of all the things Draco
possessed…he valued none such as he valued his name. His voice was calm and
dangerously low and controlled. He looked Harry directly in the eye, his own
grey eyes resembling cold steel.

 

“How would
you know about family? You haven’t got one.”

 

The slap was
instantaneous. Harry didn’t even recognize Draco at
that point…he saw only the fury aroused by his comments. After his hand had so
harshly graced Draco’s cheek, both of them fell
silent. Draco kept his head turned the way it had ended
up when Harry slapped him, a few stray silent tears running down his pale cheek
that he would never admit to. After a long silence, Draco
bent down to collect his pants and put them on. He couldn’t go back to the
dungeons yet…they had a very strict duledule and there were only certain times
where it was highly unlikely that he would be seen leaving Harry’s room. As mad
as he was…it was not mad enough to leave and be subjected to prying eyes. He remained
shirtless, and took a seat at the opposite corner of the room, distancing
himself from Harry and saying nothing. Harry sat down on the edge of his bed
after also pulling on his pants. They sat like that for an hour before Harry
spoke finally.

 

“I’m sorry I
slapped you.”

 

“I deserved
it.”

 

“What?”

 

“What I said
about your family…I only said it because I knew it would hurt you.”

 

Harry was
somewhat shocked at how malicious Draco could be, and
even worse…how good he was at it.

 

‘Suarknarkness in such beauty.’ Harry thought sadly.

 

“What am I
to you?” Harry asked, nervously. This was new territory, as they had both
avoided giving whatever it was they were doing a label…but now it was time…and
Harry had to know.

 

Draco kept
his voice low and his gaze unfocused somewhere to the left of Harry’s face.
“What do you mean?”

 

Harry moved
so that he was in front of Draco’s stare, forcing the
blonde to look at him. He had worked too hard to get behind the walls put up by
the complex Slytherin to allow Draco
to just slap them back up and shut him out completely. He would too…and Harry
knew it. Draco was nothing if not a master of feigned
indifference.

 

“I mean what
am I to you? What do you think I mean? You tell me you love me…you tell me you
don’t want to be with anyone else…but you say so casually that you are prepared
to leave me and marry someone you don’t love…and for what? Some
legacy? Am I supposed to just accept that? Or were you lying when you said
those things?”

 

Draco
refocused his eyes, but still kept his voice nonchalant, as if he were talking
about the weather. “No, I didn’t lie Harry…I don’t
want to be with anyone else…but we don’t always get everything we want…even
me…”

 

“What the
hell is that supposed to mean?”

 

“I was just
noticing the irony. Everyone thinks I always get everything I want…and I
usually do…karma I suppose…” Draco let out a small
amused laugh.

 

“Karma?
What is wrong with you? You say all of that like you can’t have me but…” Harry
took Draco’s hand and placed it over his chest where
his heart lie underneath “you already have me.”

 

Draco
couldn’t look at him, so he shifted his stare to the floor and removed his hand
from Harry’s chest. “It’s about choices
Harry…I don’t get very many of them you know…I have to be very careful with the
few I am allowed. Don’t ask me to choose between you and my name…you can’t
win.”

 

The furious
Gryffindor squeezed his eyes shut to avoid the tears that threatened to spill
over. He finally managed to speak, although he had to keep his eyes closed.
“What makes you so sure you can’t have both, Draco?”

 

“It doesn’t
work that way…it’s just a fact…there are certain things that accompany my title
and they cannot be changed. Two of them are a wife and an heir Harry…its just
the way things are…”

 

Harry’s eyes
snapped open again. “For someone with so much supposed pride, you are so
terrified of yourself…and you end up as a servant, and you *know* it.”

 

Draco had
no answer to this. Harry continued.

 

“Can’t you
at least *think* about living your own life…not for me…but for *you*?
Graduation is coming up…surely you aren’t expected to be married and having a
child before then…can’t you give it time, and just think about it?”

 

“If I relent
will you stop badgering me?”

 

“For now.”

 

“Fine then.”

 

The answer
may have been apathetic, but Harry knew that somewhere he had gotten through…he
had to…otherwise…

 

*END
FLASHBACK*

 

**************************************************************************

 

And here
they lie, weeks later, with but a few weeks until graduation. Harry shut his eyes
and prayed to Merlin that Draco would make the right
choice, not for just his own selfish reasons…of course he didn’t want Draco to leave him…but he wanted him to have a real life…a
happy one…one he *chose*.

 

Deciding
that if he dwelled on the subject further, he would go insane, Harry tried to
think of something else. Besides, his dragon was currently nestled beside him,
sleeping peacefully…and for now that was all that mattered. He thought of Ron,
and how attentive he had been lately. The normally rambunctious red head had
been somewhat sensitive over the last month, mentioning more than once to Harry
how important their friendship was to him. He wondered if maybe he knew
anything, or if it was just a side effect of his relationship with Hermione.
His thoughts ground to a halt.

 

‘Hermione…she wouldn’t have told him
anything would she?...no…I can trust her…I’m sure of
that…’

 

Still…Ron
had been so understanding lately…maybe it was time to
tell him. He looked over at Draco, the notion of
telling Ron would certainly infuriate the Slytherin,
even if he left him out of it completely. But Ron was his best friend…and was was time he knew the truth. cou could handle it…yes…he would tell him soon.

 

********************************************************************************

 

Ron stepped
into Harry’s room a bit nervously. He had a feeling he knew what Harry wanted
to talk about.

 

“Oi, Harry, you wanted to see me?”

 

“Yeah
Ron…sit down would you?”

 

“Um…sure.”
Ron’s mind was working overtime to figure out his fake surprised reaction he
was going to need soon. “So…what did you
want to talk about?”

 

‘Well…better cut to the chase before
I loose my nerve’ Harry
took a deep breath.

 

“Well…you
know how I’ve never had a girlfriend?”

 

“You have
Ginny.” Ron couldn’t help getting in the small jab for his little sister whose
love would never be requited.

 

“Er….yes….about that…see...we have an….understanding
of sorts…”

 

“Understanding?”

 

“Yes…she’s
my cover I guess you could say…”

 

“Cover?
Cover for what?” Ron pretended to be confused.

 

“Ron, I’m
gay.” Harry looked at his friend not knowing whether to expect him to yell or
faint.

 

“Oi…are you sure?”

 

Harry
chuckled. “Quite sure, Ron.”

 

“How long
have you been….you know….dodgy?”

 

Harry
blinked, a little surprised. “Dodgy? Well…a few years I suppose…but I’ve been
quite certain for over a year now.”

 

Ron
pretended to consider this a moment. “Well, mate, if you’ve been…you know…for
that long…you’ve still been my best friend through all that…so I don’t really
see how anything is different.”

 

Harry was,
to say the least, surprised at his friend’s reaction. He had expected Hermione
to understand…but Ron…this was certainly a better outcome than he had imagined.


 

“So you’re
not mad?”

 

“Why would I
be mad about something like that? It’s your life Harry…you’re not asking *me*
out…so I don’t see where I have any room to be mad. I do wish you’d trusted me
enough to tell me sooner though.”

 

“It’s hard,
Ron…being the bloody Boy Who Lived And Loved Boys…I’m sorry…if I’d known you’d
be so understanding about it all…I would have told you sooner.”

 

“That’s
okay…so I take it you have a….friend?”

 

Harry rolled
his eyes. Ron may be a lot more understanding than he thought, but he was still
clearly uncomfortable actually admitting aloud that his best friend was in fact
gay.

 

“I have lots
of friends Ron…are you asking if I have a lover?”

 

Ron flushed
a bit at Harry’s bluntness and nodded silently.

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

“So you guys
have….” Ron trailed off growing even redder.

 

Harryyes yes
grew wide. “No! I mean…not yet anyways….” He got a flush of his own.

 

“I don’t
suppose you’d divulge who this mystery man is then?”

 

“Not a
chance…sorry Ron. I’ve told you my secrets…but that one isn’t just mine.”

 

“I
see…well…I’m sure Hermione will be happy to hear you told me what you did
anyways…is that all you wanted to talk about?”

 

Harry nodded
and Ron got up to leave, as he’d promised Hermione they would study in the
library for the umpteenth time that week. Ron made it about half way to the
door before Harry called his name.

 

“Ron?”

 

He turned
around and was a bit thrown off by the scowl on Harry’s face that hadn’t been
there a scant few seconds ago.

 

“Yeah
Harry?”

 

“I didn’t
say anything about Hermione…I didn’t tell you she knew…she told you didn’t
she?”

 

‘Bugger…now I’m in trouble’ Ron thought
nervously.

 

“No…of
course not Harry…I just assumed that if you were ready to tell me…then you’d
tell Hermione too and I just guessed you would tell her before you told me…”

 

“That’s
bullshit.”

 

“C’mon
Harry…she didn’t mean to…and she didn’t really tell me anyways, I figured it
out and she just didn’t lie to me when I asked her.”

 

“Of
course….” Harry was laughing quietly to himself. This threw Ron off a bit.

 

“Of course what, Harry?”

 

“She told
you and you got to work off your anger then, before she convinced you to not to
be mad about it…that’s why you were acting so understanding just now…I get it
now…”

 

“That’s not
true Harry…yeah I was a bit shocked, but I *do* understand…do you not trust me
at all?”

 

“Why should
I? It’s not like you told me the truth just now.” Harry’s comments were
unusually cold.

 

Ron was
livid. “*I* didn’t tell *you* the truth? Who’s the one harboring all these
secrets that you seem to tell everyone *but* me.?”

 

“That’s not
true…it’s only Hermione.”

 

“And what of
Ginny…doesn’t she know?”

 

“Yes…she had
to…but it’s none of your business anyways, I don’t *have* to tell any of you
anything Ron…it’s like you said…it’s *my* life…”

 

“But we’re
your *friends* Harry! Or have you gotten so wrapped up in whoever it is that
you happen to be shagging that you’ve forgotten that?”

 

Harry
matched Ron’s raised voice. “Oh that’s bullocks! You and Hermione have been
attached at the hip…you haven’t needed me around anyways…and didn’t you
actually say you were *glad* I had backed off a bit because it gave you a
chance to tell her how you felt?”

 

Harry didn’t
give Ron time to answer before he continued yelling. “And we are NOT shagging!…it isn’t just that either! I’ve been thinking about my
name lately…it means something to a lot of people even if it doesn’t to me…I’ve
been trying to figure out what to do after graduation. I may not want to be the Great Harry Potter…
but I *am* and that brings certain responsibilities with it! I can’t just fall
back with some menial job at the ministry because half my family works there!”

 

Ron couldn’t
believe Harry’s obvious insult to him and his limited options after school. His
face grew a shade of red to rival his hair, only now he was not flustered with
embarrassment, but anger.

 

“What’s happened
to you Harry? Whoever it is that’s been shagging you must be doing it well to
warp you like this. Do you not give a damn about your friends anymore? I came
here to try and let you know that I’d be here for you no matter what but you
are being a complete arse!”

 

Harry was
still incensed. He was angry at Hermione for betraying his trust, angry at Ron
for hiding that he already knew. But more than angry…he felt foolish. He could
not believe that apparently he was so easy to figure out…people knew his secrets
and he hadn’t even known about it. God…there were so many secrets…he was
beginning to feel sick.

 

“I suppose
Hermione’s told you about him then? Well it doesn’t matter…I swear to Merlin
Ron, if you breathe a word about this, I *will* make you regret it. Sod you
both! You and Hermione! AND WE ARE NOT SHAGGING!”

 

Ron turned
on his heel to leave…he had to or else he and his best friend were obviously
going to come to blows. He went to the exit and turned his head back to face
Harry one last time before leaving.

 

“We miss
Harry…not the Great Harry Potter…if you see him, tell him his friends miss
him…” and he turned to go…but not before looking over at the desk beside the
exit. There on the desk were those photographs…the same ones Ron had discussed
with Harry some time ago. They were splayed out across the top of the desk and
he let his eyes roam over them once more, even though he wasn’t sure why he was
doing it. Slytherins…Malfoy….Zabini….Malfoy…Bullstrode….Malfoy…Malfoy….Malfoy…Malfoy

 

Ron was
snapped from his thoughts by Harry’s cutting voice.

 

“Go”

 

And he left.


 

**************************************************************************

 

Ron stormed
into the library, still shaking with anger at his encounter with Harry. He let
his eyes scan the area until he spotted his girlfriend with her nose in a book
as per usual. He walked over to where she sat.

 

When
Hermione looked up from her book, she saw Ron’s troubled face and flushed
complexion. She knew something wasn’t right; still, she smiled at him.

 

“How’d it
go?” she asked.

 

“Who is it?”

 

“Ron? Who is
what?”

 

“Who’s the
bastard that’s turned Harry into one?”

 

Hermione
gasped. “Oh Ron…did it go badly? I’m sorry…I’ll try to talk to him…”

 

Ron looked
pointedly at her. “I wouldn’t advise that right now…he’s just as mad with you.”

 

She drew
back a bit. “Me? Why?”

 

“I let it
slip that you’d be happy he told me…he hadn’t mened ned you knew…he put two and
two together and concluded that you told me.”

 

“Ron! We
talked about that! You were supposed to be careful! Besides…I didn’t tell you…I
just didn’t lie about it…did he expect me to lie for him?!”

 

Ron rested
his hand on the back of a chair. “I would suppose so. Anyways…we had a row…he
was being a bloody arse!”

 

“What…what
did he say?”

 

“He went on
about how he had more *important* things to do than trust and confide in his
friends and how it was none of our business anyways…that he didn’t owe us
anything…”

 

“Oh
Merlin…I’m so sorry Ron.” Hermione was greatly shocked. This wasn’t at all how
she had imagined this would go.

 

Ron gripped
the back of the chair until his knuckles turned white. “Who is it?” he asked
again.

 

“Ron…I…I
can’t….”

 

The wood
cracked under the pressure of the angry red-head’s hand. “I *know* you know…Harry
already thinks you’ve told me”

 

“Harry
trusted me…I can’t…he’ll hate me even more….it’s just not my place…”

 

He kept his
gaze on the floor, his red fringe shadowing his eyes.

 

“I already
know its Malfoy…why don’t you just *say* it?”

 

Hermione
gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. After a moment she was able to
speak again. “Ron, I’m sorry…I thought Harry would be happy…I thought he’d be
good for him…”

 

Ron merely
nodded, the confirmation he sought given to him. He released the chair and
headed towards the exit to the library.

 

Hermione
called after him.

 

“Ron! Where
are you going?”

 

He didn’t
even slow down as he answered her.

 

“The dungeons.”

 

*************************************************************************

 

TBC

 

A/N *ducks
MAJORLY sharp objects* PLEASE PLEASE DON’T KILL ME! I
*love* the suspense…I can’t help it…and now you’ll all just *have* to read the
next chapter, ne?

 

*evil grin*
Nah…I already have all the chapter summaries written out and this is just where
this chapter ends. I have so much to write and certain info needs to be grouped
together…plus I just like torturing you.

 

Please
review.

 

Love and
Kisses, my beauteous readers!

 

Reika