BB 7

Harry had tried every excuse to get away the past few days, and they'd just increased his friend's suspicion, so Harry had a new plan - leave without explanation. Thinking about it, it was genius - later he would return and just say 'I needed some air' or that he felt sick, or was upset about Cho Chang, or something like that, and if his friends kept pestering him about it, he could just wave them off, saying that he didn't want to talk about it.

As the clock ticked to 8:15, Harry was becoming anxious; he was never one for interacting with other people, and running out of the common room suddenly with no explanation would bring even more unnecessary attention to himself.

8:20. its fine, just get up, leave. Not rocket science Harry.

8:25 just get up, leave. Simple.

8:30 what am I still doing here.

9:35 GO HARRY

Were Dean and Seamus holding hands? Jesus, Ron thought. They hadn't ACTUALLY told anyone, but they didn't keep it a secret... Lavender Brown had apparently seen them kissing, but she was generally always proved to be wrong about what she 'most definitely saw'.

And Hermione, why was she being so weird? She'd occasionally look into space mid-sentence, and whenever asked what she was thinking of, she'd go bright red and giggle, and her and Ginny would then exchange glances, as if they were speaking in their own language.

And Harry, what the hell was up with him? They had made it up, because Ron had realised that Harry wouldn't want all the attention he gained from the tournament, and he did tell Ron everything... As far as Ron knew anyhow. But since they had been hanging out again, Ron had noticed how he always 'needed to do something' at 8:30 EVERY EVENING.

At first, he assumed it was something tournementy, but to have it every night? And how he could easily be persuaded not to go... But then spent the evening looking as guilty as a child that ate a cake before his mother said he could...

'You alright mate?' Ron turned to Harry, who was nervously glancing at the clock.

'Yeah' Harry assured Ron but his heart wasn't in it - an OK person isn't knowing his nails into oblivion whilst transfixed as the clock turns from 26 seconds past to 27. 'I'm just tired' he added. Then he got up, and left.

Just like that.

Hermione and Ron exchanged looks for a moment, before Dean Seamus Hermione and Ron chased after him - where the hell was he going?

Draco sighed in relief, Harry was there, waiting for him.

'Draco' Harry said simply, with a small smile.

''Harry' Draco replied, walking towards him. 'I've missed you' he added with a sad smile, and Harry nodded.

'I'm sorry' he replied-Harry's conversationing was limited- and the boys embraced. Pulling a part, Draco added quietly

'I love you'

'Where the hell did he go?!' Ron questioned, looking around the empty corridor, with a look of confusion on his pale freckly face. Harry had only left a minute ago, but the corridor had no signs of life apart from Ron and Hermione.

'Here, you go this way, I'll go the other' Hermione said cleverly, and headed towards the right of the corridor that lead to the entrance hall. Unlike Ron, Hermione was pretty sure who Harry was running away to see.

It was pretty obvious, considering Harry reddened slightly when Ron complained about Dean and Seamus' new relationship, saying it was 'weird, unnatural'.

Or how Harry didn't get angry when Draco called him a tosser in the corridor, and just smiled and called him a twat back, like it was a joke between chums.

What really proved her partially formed hypothesis was how Hermione got anxious to know whether Harry liked her or not, so stole his diary. She knew it was bad, and she shouldn't have, but her curiosity of whether the rumours were true or not had got the better of her. And when you're expecting 'Hermione granger is my life' and you find 'Draco and Harry forever' you get quite a shock.

But where, if you were hiding from anyone else, would you go? Somewhere secret? The room of requirement. Entering the grand room, she tiptoed to the stairs - it was after hours and she had too much work to risk a detention.

As she approached the stairs, she heard a giggle. Shoot, she thought, Peeves. Ducking down and squashing herself against the bannister to lessen her chances of being seen, Hermione was able to see shadows of figures under the stairs, and assumed it was them giggling. Standing up and leaning over the bannisters to see more, she strained, but couldn't identify the figures. What if they weren't Harry and Draco? Hermione didn't fancy being in that much of an awkward situation.

'You actually said that?!' Hermione heard a snippet of their conversation, was it them? 'Oh Draco that's hilarious' Hermione's suspicions were confirmed; it was them. Creeping down the stairs, Hermione was careful not to make a noise, she didn't want them to know she knew. At the bottom of the stairs, she mentally planned how she was going to dart across the floor to the corridor, without making a noise and not being seen. She was just going to go as quickly as she could.

'Hermione?!' Harry cried in disbelief, and worry, and looked at Draco to hide himself. Draco quickly grabbed Harry's invisibility cloak and hoped he wouldn't be seen.

Hermione turned around. 'Harry' she said, walking over. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

'Tell you what?' Harry asked with a nervous laugh, raking his hands through his hair anxiously. Hermione reached out with his hand and looked him in the eyes.

'Harry I know' she said simply, and sympathetically. 'About you and Draco' Hermione looked around for the blonde, and realised he'd probably be under the invisibility cloak, and held her hands out, waving them about, until she hit Draco's body.

Damn, Harry thought, he could've at least run away.

Hermione sighed. 'I know you're there Draco'

Draco removed the cloak sheepishly.

'D-don't tell anyone' he added sadly. Hermione suddenly realised why Harry hadn't told her, they were both ashamed. Draco having grown up with a very pure blood family, and Harry having grown up with a family that were obsessed with 'normalness'. They were ashamed! They disliked gay people... And were gay! Hermione couldn't believe the irony.

Hermione turned to Harry, who was now biting his nails. 'Harry, you know I love you, I wouldn't ever tell anyone' Hermione approached Harry. 'Not even Ron' Hermione embraced Harry into a hug. Breaking apart, Hermione thought she should hug Draco, sort of to acknowledge him. They had an awkward sort of hug, and then Hermione departed. Walking back down the corridor, Ron spotted Hermione.

'Any luck?' Ron asked. Hermione thought about saying she didn't see him, but then thought that Ron would become more suspicious.

'Yeah, saw him on way to Moody's office, said something about the tournament' Hermione knew Ron wouldn't check with Moody, due to being slightly in awe of the odd one eyed man. Ron scoffed.

'Him and that bloody tournament' he sneered, which Hermione thought was slightly unfair; Harry had been avoiding thinking about it, and didn't want to be in it in the first place.

Hermione smiled, she was happy for Harry.