Disclaimer: Don't own any of these fine people, don't own any of these non-fine people, don't own Day of Silence but I am going to participate this year, and you should too!
WARNING: SLASH !!!!!!!
A/N: How can a fic titled Day of Silence NOT have G/L/B/T people in it?? Hope you enjoy enough to participate (I know it's before Day of Silence but hopefully this won't turn out to be a oneshot. I don't know. I'm sitting here, avoiding homework, and writing as things come to me and I decided to do a Day of Silence fic. It was going to be in a Dogma AU but I decided Hogwarts would be more fun cause there're more people. Okay, I'm done. Moving on.)
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Harry and Ron had noticed rainbow posters up along he halls, but they hadn't really read them until Seamus came up to them Sunday morning.
"Hey, lads! You doing Day of Silence?" Ron and Harry exchanged looks. Harry was secretly grateful for the distraction, and took the opportunity to sneak one of Ron's bishops off the board and advance his rook two squares.
"Day of Silence? What?" Ron asked, a look of utter confusion on his face.
"Day of Silence is a day during which people are silent for the entire day in order to protest discrimination and harassment of homosexuals. It's symbolic of how gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders are silenced by society and can't really speak out. It's mostly student-driven."
"…"
"It falls on Wednesday the 18 this year," Seamus added, breaking the semi-stunned silence. "I'm trying to get a bunch of people to do it, cause Hogwarts really isn't that gay-friendly."
Harry blinked. "But back in the fall, didn't-"
"Yeah, but they got teased a ton about it and almost got beaten up. I asked Flitwick if I could try and get people doing Day of Silence and he said it'd be a good idea. Will you?"
"Er…" Harry looked uncertain.
"Well, who else've you got?" Ron inquired.
"Well, there are a bunch of younger kids from all the Houses, but you're asking about people you know, right?"
"Yeah…"
"Right. I'm definitely in, so's Neville…Angelina, Katie Bell, Fred and George said they'd do it when I asked a little while ago…and Malfoy and-"
"MALFOY?!" exclaimed Ron and Harry. Seamus grinned.
"Yeah, Malfoy, and Crabbe and Goyle and Blaise too. Same with Pansy and Justin. Oh, and Hannah from Hufflepuff-"
"Malfoy?"
"And Flitwick'll be doing it too, and-"
"But Malfoy?"
"And I have to ask more people, I only put the notices up this morning." Seamus looked concerned. "D'you think enough people will do it?"
"Malfoy?????"
"I mean," Seamus continued, "Flitwick said he'll do it, and so will Trelawney, and Snape said he'll do it and he'll talk to people, but-"
"SNAPE?????"
"I'm not sure if McGonnagle will. I asked and she said she'd have to think about it. She's worried about what Umbridge'll do during the Day of Silence, is the thing, I'm a bit worried too, because what if-"
"SNAPE AND MALFOY????"
Seamus glared. "You know, Gryffindors aren't the only ones with morals."
"Could've fooled me…" Ron muttered.
Seamus folded his arms. "Look, are you lads in or out?"
Ron sighed. "I'm in. As long as I don't have to hug the Ferret or whatever."
Seamus grinned. "Don't worry. You won't have to. I'm making an announcement on Monday night, though."
Harry didn't look so sure. "Can I…have a bit to think about it…?" he asked. He got a nod in response.
"Sure. We don't want to pressure people into doing anything. Take your time. I hope you'll join in, but if you don't then it's ok."
Seamus jogged off in search of more people.
"That was…interesting…" Ron blinked. He looked down at the chessboard. He looked up into Harry's wide, innocent eyes. He looked back down at the chessboard.
Ron leaned back and folded his arms. "Put my queen, my bishops, my knight, the four pawns, and the rook back on the board, take your queen, knights, and three pawns back off, and move your rooks back to where they were."
Harry grinned sheepishly. He chuckled to himself. Ha! Ron hadn't noticed the extra two pawns.
"So…are you gonna do the Silence thing…?" Ron asked casually. Harry shrugged and shoved his hair out of his eyes.
"I dunno."
"Well, why not?"
"Well…people might think I'm…you know, that I…"
"That you're gay?" Ron raised an eyebrow as his bishop gave Harry's rook a roundhouse punch that sent it flying off the board.
"Well…yeah…" Harry shifted uncomfortably.
"…"
"…"
"Check."
"Bugger."
"…"
"…"
"Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"…are you gay?"
"Why?"
Ron shrugged. "Just wondering," he said, eyes fixed on the stone soldiers on the black and white battlefield.
"Are you? You agreed rather quickly…"
Ron's head snapped up. "What the hell? Are you saying I'm gay just because I'm trying to help stop stupid sods beating up gay kids? Gay's not bad, you know!"
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Ooh. Touchy, are we?"
If looks could have killed, Harry would have been a smoking robe and a pair of socks by then. "Can you hear yourself, Harry? This is exactly why Seamus is doing this whole thing! You're acting like being gay means that suddenly someone's worse than You-Know-Who!"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Just say Voldemort already. It's stupid to be scared of someone like that."
"It's even stupider to be scared of someone just cause they're gay."
"I'm not scared, I just don't want them…"
"What? Looking at you? Guess what, Harry, not everyone who looks at you adores you."
"I'm just saying…"
"Look at it like this. You're straight. Do you jump every girl you see?"
"No!"
"Well, gay guys don't jump every guy they see, dumbass. Get over yourself."
"…"
"Your move."
"…"
"Bloody hell, mate! Are you mad at me or something?"
"No, just trying to get over the fact that my best friend's a queer."
"Don't start."
"So you are!"
"So what if I am?"
"…"
"Your move, Harry."
"I don't want to play anymore."
"…"
"I'm gonna go find Hermione." Harry got up and left rather more quickly than necessary.
Ron sighed and rubbed his face. He'd been meaning to come out to him eventually, but he'd hoped Harry would take it better than this…Ron shook his head. Hermione would calm Harry down and explain things. Ron had already told her he was bi, and she'd been a little surprised but supportive. Ron grinned. As long as he still liked her, he could've told her he'd decided to take up Ultimate Frisbee or some stupid Muggle sport and she'd have been fine with it.
Ron started to put the chess pieces away. He was really lucky to have a girlfriend like Hermione.
Harry's chess pieces refused to let him touch them, and the queen actually gave his finger a good smack before he managed to use a book to sweep them into their box. Ron's mood darkened and he walked up to the dorms. He inspected his hand. He'd have a nasty bruise on the knuckle, but nothing worse.
What worried him was what might happen between him and Harry.
What worried Seamus was what Umbridge would do on the Day of Silence.
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Love it? Loath it? Want to do Day of Silence? I am! Review, people. Even if you don't, I encourage you to find and join your local GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) and help bring tolerance to your community. If you don't have one, start one! It takes a lot of courage, but it's worth it. Try checking online for groups in your area. If you know someone who's gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender, please be supportive. It can be really hard. If you are gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender, you're not alone. I sincerely hope that you have support in your area and that you are being well-treated.
Everyone--please. If you see someone getting teased, harassed, or bullied because they're G/L/B/T, or for any reason, speak up. End the silence.
Tune in for the next chapter soon! I really don't want to do my science homework, so I am going to write the next chapter right now! YAY!