"No, I don't," Harry frustratedly sighs.
"You do. It's obvious, the way you look at him, it's clear!"
"Ron, I don't have a crush on your fifty-year-old brother!"
"I'm not saying that! I'm just saying... you... ever since he's been here you're... weird."
"That's rubbish, why would I want to go on... on a date? With Bill?" Harry says, exasperated at Ron's persistence. Would he just let it go?
"I dunno," Ron shrugs, "he's... cool, I guess."
"You're actually out of your mind. I don't 'like' him because, guess what, I'm not gay," Harry shakes his head. They pause, the creaky attic bedroom goes silent for a moment.
"Look," Ron sighs, "I don't care if you are gay, but just, you can talk to me, okay? I... I want to think you would, just as I would. This..." he shakes his head, "isn't one-sided."
Ron stands without a word and leaves their shared bedroom.
Harry wonders if he's messed up his relationship with Ron, his best friend. The Weasleys' is awesome, but not without him.
Then, the problem being... he does kinda like Bill.
But he doesn't know, not for sure. And won't be telling anyone anytime soon.
It's just... what if he does? What happens then? Bill's about ten years older than him, and a boy. How does that work?
What if he is gay? What if he isn't?
He hears a knock at the door, "Harry?"
"Come in."
Hermione opens the door cautiously, "Hey."
She perches on the end of the bed, Ron's bed. Harry's been sleeping on the floor for a couple of days, and was due a switch to the bed soon, but wasn't going to argue, the floor was ten times comfier here than his bed at the Dursleys'.
"I hear you and Ron-"
"It's nothing," Harry interrupts, if he doesn't want to talk to Ron, he sure isn't going to talk to Hermione.
"Okay," she nods, "I see that, but, if it is something, then-"
"There isn't."
Hermione nods again, "Well, mash for tea. Want to come down and help?"
•
Ron doesn't talk to him that evening, making Harry feel worse and worse, but no way is he going to confess how he feels about Bill. All throughout dinner Harry couldn't help but stare at him, despite seeing the exasperated looks from Ron out of the corner of his eye.
As he changes into his pyjamas that night, he hears Ron mutter to himself as he gets into bed.
"Huh?" he grunts.
"I... I wanted to apologise for earlier. If... if you want to tell me something, you can. If you don't... I can't force you, I guess."
Harry nods, "Thanks."
There was still an awkward atmosphere, and he knew that wouldn't disappear anytime soon.
"If it... if it means anything to you..." Harry sighs, "I guess... I guess I do have... have a-"
"A crush?" Ron cries, "A crush on Bill?"
Harry looks away and nods.
"I knew it," Ron shakes his head.
Silence swallows the room and Harry turns to Ron, who opens his mouth, before closing it again.
"Are you... you know..." he trails off.
"Gay?"
Ron flinches, "Yeah..."
"I... I don't know. I might be. Bill is certainly..." he turns to Ron, who won't meet his eye, "attractive."
"Ew."
Harry blushes and crawls under the covers.
"Does this... make things-"
"Awkward?"
"Yeah."
"A little."
Harry nods, tugging the duvet closer to his body.
Ron switches the light off and jumps onto his bed.
"You know... if it isn't weird for you..." he starts.
Harry sits up, "What?"
"I guess I can help you..."
"Help me?"
"With Bill."
"As in..?"
"Yep."
Harry grins, did this really just happen?
•
The next morning was a blur. Waking next to an extremely excited Ron, who suspiciously wouldn't speak a word to him. Harry just ignored it, knowing that whatever Ron was doing would probably end terribly, especially if Harry interfered.
At breakfast, Ron brings Fred and George aside, and Harry knows something's up.
"What're they doing?" Hermione mouths. He just shrugs in response.
Ron looks over to Harry, still whispering to his brothers. He smirks at Harry quickly, before continuing to whisper. Fred and George's eyes go wide and George wiggles his eyebrows at Harry.
Harry rolls his eyes and blushes, making a mental note to kill Ron later on.
•
"You told them?"
"I had to!" Ron protests, "Otherwise I wouldn't be abl-"
Ron cuts himself off.
"What? What is it?! Won't be able to what?" Harry pushes.
"It's nothing..." Ron trails off, avoiding eye contact with Harry and instead focusing on folding pyjamas onto his bed for the third time.
They hear a knock at the door.
Harry rolls his eyes and stands up to let Hermione in their room. She has a skeptical look on her face.
"What are you up to?" she says, raising her eyebrow.
Ron looks to Harry, as if asking permission to confide in her. Harry widens his eyes, pushing the message through the air.
Don't tell her.
"Uhh... nothing," Ron says sweetly, "just... tidying."
Hermione folds her arms over her chest.
"Tidying, eh?"
Harry nods vigorously.
She rolls her eyes, "Well Ron, Fred and George need you."
Harry looks at Ron.
"Okay."
Ron follows Hermione out the room.
"Ron?"
He turns to face Harry, leaning against the doorway.
"Don't do anything... stupid. Okay?"
Ron winks.
•
That night at dinner, Mr Weasley goes out for a last minute work meeting, and Mrs Weasley goes out with her friend. The kids rule the house.
As they sat around the living room, chatting carelessly, Ron suspiciously whispering with Fred, they hear a knock at the door.
Ginny stands up immediately.
"Who's that?" Ron asks.
"...Gerta."
Everyone seems to understand.
As Ginny rushes off, Harry leans into George: "Who's Gerta?"
"Ginny's girlfriend. They've been dating for about... a month now?"
"Girlfriend?"
George raises his eyebrows, "Is that a problem for you?' he smiles, 'I wouldn't think so."
He wiggles his eyebrows.
Harry glares and swears to murder Ron the next opportunity he gets.
Ginny comes through, loosely holding hands with a tall girl.
The girl, who Harry presumes is Gerta, locks eyes with Harry before whispering to Ginny. He imagines she recognises him.
They carry on as they were, until Ron nudges Fred, and points at Harry, not-so stealthily
"Shall we play a... game of Quidditch?" Fred says cheekily.
"What a great idea!" George cries from across the room, next to Harry.
"Don't we need to eat first?" Hermione interrupts.
"I'll play a game," Bill says, and Harry blushes for no rational reason.
"No no no, you need to make the food," Fred says quickly.
"For what? Ten people?" Bill asks sarcastically.
"Harry can help you!" George says and nudges him, "Can't you Harry?"
"Uhh... sure."
"We're sorted then!"
"Wait, what are we makin-"
"Lets get going!"
Everyone stands up before Bill can finish and they leave the room.
Hermione stays behind for a minute, with an apologetic look on her face.
"Hermione?" Ron calls.
"Should we not help them?" Hermione says, as Ron comes through to find her.
He sighs, "Will you shut up and come with me?"
He drags her out.
"Well..." Bill says awkwardly, wandering into the kitchen, "we've got some... pomegranate seeds?"
Bill picks up a bowl and shows it to Harry, a smile wide on his face.
Harry's too dumbfounded by what happened to stay, so runs after Ron, catching him by the arm.
"What the hell is this about?" Harry mutters.
Ron shrugs, grinning cheekily.
"Tell me something!" Harry's arm go flying into the air, "You can't just hide things! This is about me! My life! And you go off telling your brothers personal things, that I trusted in you! I deserve to know what the hell is going on!"
"This isn't that personal, mate."
"Not personal? I don't go around telling people-" he stops himself from saying more.
"Look, we only wanted to help."
"We? You mean your brothers? You know they had no reason to come into this!"
"I needed them!"
"To do what? Get people out the room?!"
Ron sighs.
"I trusted you Ron."
"Well it's pretty bloody obvious that you have a crush on Bill! You may as well... tell... everyone..."
"Ron."
The household goes silent and Harry's heart stops.
"Ron. You did not. You did not just-"
"Harry?"
Harry turns round and sees Bill stood in front of him.
Harry's heart starts beating rapidly and his cheeks flush.
"You..." Bill pauses.
Harry looks up at him.
"Have a crush on me?"
Harry stays silent.
"Yeah. He does," Ron interrupts.
Bill huffs a short laugh, unfazed.
"Wow. The boy who lives. A crush. On me."
Harry turns to escape down the hallway.
"Wait!" Bill grabs his arm and Harry shivers at the touch. He turns to face him.
Bill's about a foot taller than him, but he manages to see his face perfectly, his strong jaw, his grey-blue eyes, his long, red locks.
"Ron?" Bill leans around Harry to give his brother a look.
"I'm leaving!" Ron throws his arms up and turns round to leave with the others.
Bill places his hands on Harry's jaw cupping his chin, "Harry... I, I..."
Bill stops and leans in, pausing just before Harry's lips. Harry closes the gap.