When he was gone, Hermione sighed heavily. She felt sorry for poor Harry. By now, everyone was wondering about him, especially after his break-up with Ginny.

Was Harry gay? She didn't know. She and Ron had been trying to figure it out, but it was difficult. Not even Harry knew, it seemed; his obsession with Malfoy could have very well been rooted out of pure suspicion. But she doubted it, and so did Ron.

And if Ron could pick up on something, then it was pretty fucking obvious.

There was only one way to find out, she supposed, though, if they really wanted proof.

Slightly remiss to leave her studies behind, she stood up to go to the Headmistress' office. She would have to have a quick chat with Professor McGonagall, but it was really Dumbledore's portrait that she wanted to talk to.

Yes, Dumbledore would know what to do.

She hurried out of the common room, not bothering to worry after Harry and his sudden disappearance. He was definitely stalking Malfoy, so she knew it was perfectly harmless. As far as she could tell, Malfoy's biggest offence since the war ended was making eyes with Harry from across the Great Hall.

She supposed everyone had their coping mechanisms.

Once she was at the Headmistress' office, she quickly murmured the password. Being an Eighth Year, and being Hermione Granger, she had certain priveleges. In this case it was having access to McGonagall.

Treading down the stairs, she called out, "It's me, Headmistress!"

"Come in, dearie," McGonagall called back. "I'm just grading essays." A nuance in her tone showed she wasn't entirely pleased about that.

Hermione entered the office, finding McGonagall just as she said she was. She was bent over an essay and marking it with a red-inked quill, a snarl set on her lips. A cup of sweet smelling tea steamed beside her.

"What can I help you with?" She asked, crossing something out with a sharp slash of her quill. "Are your classes boring you again?"

Hermione frowned, taking a seat in front of the desk. "Actually, I'm here about Harry."

"Harry?" McGonagall asked. She scribbled a note on the bottom of the page and smiled ever so slightly. "How is he? He hasn't visited me once you know." She tutted and shook her head.

"Not fantastic, I'm afraid."

The Headmistress looked up sharply and set the quill down. "He's not one of the students overdosing on Dreamless Sleep, is he?" Her face paled slightly and her fingers curled on the desk top.

Hermione shook her head adamantly. "It's not so serious, I promise. No drugs or trauma involved," she assured her.

McGonagall sighed and picked up her quill, marking the essay and moving it into a different pile. "Oh, wonderful. So, that leaves two options left." She made a quick note on the new essay. "Either he's been promoting new Weasley Wheezes products, or he's done something stupid to get Mr. Malfoy's attention."

"How did you know?" Hermione asked, blinking. "About Malfoy, I mean."

"Anyone with eyes can see the way those two leer at each other." McGonagall scoffed. "What about it?"

"Well, I need to speak to Professor Dumbledore's portrait."

As if on cue, Dumbledore popped into one of the frames.

"Miss Granger!" He exclaimed happily. "What can we help you with?"

Headmistress McGonagall turned in her chair to face Dumbledore's portrait.

"It's time we had the talk with Harry, Albus," she said gravely.

"The talk?" Hermione inquired, leaning forward in her chair.

Portrait-Dumbledore pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Yes, my dear. The talk where we sit down with Harry and confront the part of himself that he has been denying for years." He spoke matter-of-factly, a smile lighting in his eyes.

"And what would that be?" Hermione demanded, thinking she knew what it was.

"You tell us, dearie," McGonagall prompted her.

So, Hermione did. She told them all about Harry's obsessive talk about Malfoy, the staring contests across the Great Hall, the stalking... All of it. Everything that worried her.

And then, they came up with a plan, one that Harry wouldn't be able to resist or deny.

Oh, he was going to kill her.

But it would be worth it if he finally figured himself out. After all this time, he deserved it.