The sun was bright and warm, a soft breeze rustling through the leaves overhead. Harry stared up at the emerald filtered light. He pushed himself up to sit Indian-style on the grass.
"Did you lot hear about Seamus?" he asked. Hermione looked up from her book, her finger poised at the end of a line to hold her place.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked, looking confused.
"I'm guessing he's talking about Seamus and Dean dating," Hermione said smoothly.
"Oh, that. Yeah, I heard."
"What do you think about it?" Harry questioned, twisting a blade of grass in his hands.
"It's weird," Ron replied. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Why, because you're not used to it?" she asked. She shook her head. "I think it's great. As long as they're happy, then I'm happy for them."
Ron glared at her. "What I meant is that it's weird seeing two blokes we've shared a dorm with for six years holding hands in the hallway. I'm just not used to it is all."
Harry nodded. "Right," he replied. Hermione was looking at him with that odd knowing light in her eyes, the same that Dumbledore often had. Harry cleared his throat and looked away from her, hoping she wouldn't be her usual self and push the subject. It was a futile hope.
"Harry, is there something you're wanting to talk about?" she asked, her voice only slightly suspicious. "Does Seamus and Dean being together bother you?" Ron chose that moment to re-enter the conversation.
"Yeah, if it bothers you, mate, I'm sure we could get McGonagall to move them to a different do—ow!" Hermione had elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up. He glared at her, but she wasn't paying attention. Her eyes were locked on a very nervous Harry.
"No, it….it doesn't bother me," the black haired boy replied, looking down at the grass. "I just wondered what you lot thought of it. I mean, it's not something you really hear about here." Hermione shook her head.
"That's not true at all, Harry," she said. "There are a lot of people here at Hogwarts—take Astoria Greengrass and Parvati Patil, for instance. They've been dating for three months. And Blaise Zabini is bisexual. I have a feeling Malfoy's not as straight as he pretends to be, either." Ron started laughing.
"I think you might be right, Hermione!" he said with a grin. "I could see Malfoy being a total pouf." Hermione hit him hard on the arm with her book. It shut him up immediately.
"Harry." She reached out, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "What is it that's on your mind, love? You know you can tell us anything." Harry bit his lip, thinking it over for just a moment. He sighed. Might as well get it over with.
"Ron, 'Mione," he began quietly. He paused, taking a deep breath. "I'm gay."