Look at me, I'm on a roll! Thanks to all reviewers/favouriters, and thank you to Loufoc' for the translation work. :]

Chapter 3

Draco stood covering Harry in a sort of protective, confrontational stance, made rather comical by the fact that he and Harry were both naked. All sense of humor vanished from the room when Draco spoke in a hard, cold tone more like the one Harry was used to hearing.

"Blaise, out. Now. Go down to the common room and leave us be. Breathe a word to anyone and I'll curse you into next week. Got it?"

Blaise raised his hands in defense; "Yes, Prince Malfoy," he said with mock reverence. Lowering his hands he returned to his casual, joking tone: "But really Draco? Harry bloody Potter of all people! You should get Collin Creevey in here, sell signed nude 8x10's, you'd make a fortune!"

Draco snarled, literally snarled. "I already have a fortune, Zabini, now get the fuck out of my private suite."

"Fine, fine, I won't say anything. Enjoy your prize, Draco." With this, Blaise exited the rooms, laughing to himself on the way down to the common room.

"Bloody git" Draco muttered. Then he looked at Harry, who was in shock, an apology in his eyes. "I'm sorry about him. He shouldn't have seen you, I'm so sorry."

Harry said nothing except to wonder, "How did he get in, anyway. You said last night that the lock responds only to your touch."

"You're pretty observant when you're drunk, Harry. I charmed it so that he could get in, since he's supposedly my best friend. Big mistake."

"Agreed."

Draco took his hand and led him out of the bathroom. Picking up his clothes from the floor, Harry realized he had a dilemma. "Draco, I have a bit of a problem here. I can't walk around the school in leather pants."

"Oh, but they look so good on you, love. Frankly, you're Harry Potter and you're openly gay, you can walk around in whatever display of flamboyance you want, people will still stare at you."

"People like you?"

"Me? I'd simply follow you around like a lost puppy. Drooling."

"Malfoys don't drool, Draco," said Harry in a frighteningly spot on impression of Lucius.

"True."

"Okay, so I still have a problem."

Draco rolled his eyes, picked up his wand and flicked it at the wardrobe, which, upon opening, revealed that it was actually a walk-in closet filled with all sorts of clothes. Harry gaped. Draco walked into the closet and selected a few things, donning them and standing in the closet, waiting. Harry followed, picking out a pair of light-wash jeans and a black tee-shirt that said 'What are you staring at?'

"Quite appropriate," commented Draco.

"Thought so," replied Harry.

"Especially since you're going to need to walk through the common room to get out of here, and no doubt Blaise has run his mouth to half the school by now."

Harry swallowed. "What are we going to do?"

"What do you do whenever someone starts a rumor about you, Harry? Walk proudly and ignore the whispers. You can deny it if you want, but you don't have to on my behalf."

"You…want to go public?"

"Blaise has already gone public for us. The question is: What are we going public as?"

"I don't know."

Draco sighed. "Fine, I'll say it then. Harry, would you like to be my boyfriend? Officially? Merlin, that sounds childish."

"I know what you mean, Draco. Yes. Besides, if we're going to have our sexual escapades broadcast to the school, shouldn't there be a relationship to back it up?"

"It's only logical, Harry, love." Draco stepped forward and kissed Harry's lips briefly. "I'd be honored to be with you."

"I love you, Draco."

"I know you do. Who doesn't?"

"Ronald Weasley."

"Noted. I love you, too."

Draco did indeed spend twenty minutes styling his hair, and when he was finished, the pair approached the staircase leading down to the Slytherin common room. Draco offered Harry his hand.

"The great Ice Prince likes to hold hands?" Harry asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"We're together now, everyone might as well see that while they're staring at us."

Harry swallowed and took Draco's hand. They slowly descended the staircase, and when they reached the bottom, they began to hear insults being hurled at them from all corners of the room.

"Shirt-lifters."

"Traitor."

"The Golden Boy and the Ice Prince, never thought I'd see the day."

Pansy Parkinson screeched like and angry owl and fainted into an armchair. The rest of the Slytherins murmured and whispered, until Draco stepped forward and got everyone's attention: "Alright, all of you, listen up!" Everyone listened.

"I'm sure you all know by now, courtesy of a certain big-mouthed Italian, that I have been romantically involved with Harry James Potter. Any details of our activities that he has given you are most likely very skewed. Ask for details, you get hexed into next week. Give Harry grief from this day forward, and you'll regret ever having been born. And don't bother spreading rumors, everyone will know by breakfast anyway. Harry and I are going public as a couple." He glared daggers around the room, wrapping a confident arm around Harry's waist, pulling him close and leading him out of the common room. Some first years that had been blocking the exit parted like the Red Sea when Draco approached.

Once they were out of the common room, ascending the staircase out of the dungeons, Harry spoke.

"You sure do have a lot of power over them." Harry said. He was slightly turned on by Draco's control of the others in his house, his dominant presence, his articulate, commanding voice. And all that was Harry's now.

"Blame it on the name. When Father dies, I'll practically own a good piece of this place. And the others have basically been taught not to mess with me. They may be intolerant, narrow-minded assholes, but they're Slytherins, they're not stupid and self-preservation is their main concern. They catch on fast."

"I see. I still think it's kind of...sexy." Harry said, watching Draco's face and stepping subtly closer to him.

Draco smiled. "Let's take a walk, Harry. Wait for everyone to go to breakfast. We don't want anyone to miss our coming out."

"You were always one for theatrics."

"Malfoys love an audience. I also sing, dance, and play the piano."

"Are all these rules written down somewhere in the Malfoy vault? On the longest roll of parchment ever made?"

"No, you just learn them from living in the same house with my folks for sixteen years."

"I see. Speaking of dancing…" Harry trailed off, not sure if he should tell Draco what he did at the club last night.

"What about dancing, Harry?" Draco asked when he didn't continue.

"Draco, there's something you should know. Something you did at the club last night."

"Oh Merlin. Tell me." Draco appeared to be bracing himself for impact.

"I don't think I should, it might make you mad," Harry hesitated, half just to provoke his blonde lover, and half out of genuine concern.

Draco looked at him with forceful eyes, eyes that had to know something, eyes that were too damn persuasive to refuse, just like his voice. Harry had to give in.

"Last night, at the club, you…danced. You stripped."

"I WHAT?" Draco appeared to have begun hyperventilating.

"You, er, you stripped. On stage. Afterward, you kissed me and told me it was all for me." Harry laughed uneasily, trying to lighten the mood.

"Gods, Harry, people know me there." Draco had his hands over his face and Harry realized he was laughing quietly.

Harry wrapped his arms around Draco, pulling him close in what he hoped was a comforting embrace. "They were all drunk out of their minds, Draco. No one mentioned your name. They probably don't even remember your, er, performance, much less know it was you."

Draco looked at Harry, seemingly comforted. "You're probably right. Thank you. But Gods, that's so embarrassing, what you must think of me. Draco the stripper. I do the stupidest shit when I'm shitfaced."

"Draco, I think you're bloody wonderful. If it makes you feel any better, you did a really great job."

"I'm good at everything, Harry."

"Of course you are."

"Alright, let's go, everyone should be at breakfast by now. Time to make our grand entrance."

"You're so show-offy, Draco."

"Oh, come on, I'm dating Harry Potter. Me! Who wouldn't want to show you off?"

"Stop talking about me like I'm an object, damn it."

"Stop talking like a girl. Come on, love." Draco took his hand and led him with that determined stride towards the Great Hall. Reaching the great oak doors, Harry swallowed thickly. "I'm a little scared."

"Harry, you've faced Voldemort five times and come out to the wizarding world once already. You can't be scared."

"Are you scared?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Of course not."

Draco leaned in and kissed Harry lightly for moral support. "It'll be fine, we've both dealt with gossip and stares before. Nothing new here."

Harry took a few deep breaths. "Right."

"I love you, Harry," Draco whispered as he took Harry's hand and pushed open the grand doors. Heads turned one by one by one, and the chatter in the Hall gradually ceased. Harry was suddenly reminded of the saying on his shirt: "What are you staring at?" The silence pressed against his ears, he couldn't move, he didn't know what to do. Naturally, Draco did. He stared around the Hall, seemingly making eyes contact with everyone in the place. Then he turned and pulled Harry against him, kissing him deeply, with all the love he had. Harry couldn't help but kiss back. The Hall erupted in noise. Screams, insults, laughter, talk, even cheers from Ginny, Blaise, and a few girls and gay boys, open or not. The boys broke apart and backed up from each other until they were only in contact by one hand, like tango dancers. Harry looked at Draco, smiling widely and mouthed "Theatrical." Draco turned with an exaggerated flourish and strode off towards the Slytherin table. Excited talk began in the Hall again as Harry walked to the Gryffindor table, beaming. Ron looked white as a sheet, frozen in shock. Harry assumed that, had he not been frozen silent, he would have been screaming mad, so he let it be. Ginny was beaming, and Hermione was shaking her head with that same knowing smile. Dean and Seamus smiled too, and unseen to the rest of the table, their hands overlapped on the bench on which they sat.

Ten minutes later, Ron finally came to. "What the hell was that, mate?" he asked, still sounding shocked, "I mean, I know you went out with him once, but what the fuck? In front of everyone, too!" Ron was becoming angry. "Why didn't you tell me first, I thought we were best friends! It's weird enough knowing you're a shirtlifter without having to watch you snog Malfoy!"

"Ronald! Stop it!" cried Hermione, "you're being an arse!"

Ron was shocked into silence again by Hermione's comment. She looked at Harry sympathetically, placing a hand over his on the table. "I apologize for Ron's terrible attitude. Now, would you care to explain exactly why that display was necessary?"

Harry wasn't sure where to begin. "Well, we went out, and it was really great and—and we went back to his room afterward and, um-"

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Ron, Hermione cutting his rampage short with a deathly glare.

"We don't need details, Harry, we just want to know why."

"Well, we figured out that we've both been, er, harboring feelings for each other for a while, and we're sort of, um, together now." Harry finished with a blush and a slight smile.

"I can see that." Hermione looked at him as if he was expected to continue.

"And, um, we figured we might as well come right out, since Zabini caught us and told the Slytherins. Avoid rumors, you know? And, well, Draco has always been one for theatrics." Harry elaborated.

"You're calling him Draco now? Merlin, the ferret's finally driven you mad!" Ron commented sharply.

Harry was suddenly fed up with Ron "He's not a ferret, Ron. He never was what we thought he was, he doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps and serve Voldemort. He apparently loves me, and that's more than I ever hoped for, and damn it, I will not have you stand in the way of our happiness! When you're ready to talk like adults, come find me. Until then, leave Draco and I alone or so help me I will hex your mouth off. Maybe then you'll stop going on like a crazy person."

Harry stood up and walked purposefully out of the Hall. He didn't see Draco following him out until he heard the door shut behind him a few moments too late. He turned around and saw Draco looking at him with a concerned expression.

"I take it Weasley didn't react too well."

"Just stuck in the mentality that you're evil, and apparently a little homophobic as well. What about your House?"

"Well, Blaise has always been supportive, but being gay in Slytherin sends a lot of crap your way. Pansy had a fucking cow; I'm surprised you didn't hear her screaming. Insufferable bitch." A calmer face, then a small smile replaced Draco's scowl as he looked at Harry. "It doesn't matter. They all know now, and if they've got a problem, they can suck my dick."

Harry looked lewdly at him, "That's my job," he said, fighting a smile at his immature comment.

Draco smirked. "Yeah, well, I have yet to see it happen."

"Touché" said Harry, pressing a light kiss to Draco's lips. Suddenly, the boy's heard a shutter sound and looked up a small figure toting a Polaroid camera running away from them.

"Fuck." Harry cursed.

Draco was surprisingly unperturbed. They had, after all, just come out to the entire school. And considering the speed at which gossip spread in this place, the entire wizarding world was sure to follow suit, naturally. He started to laugh, until Harry was laughing with him. They gasped and gripped each other tightly to stay upright. Draco tried to speak through his fits of laughter:

"Creevey…the little shit!"

I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I'm excited about the boys coming out together though. Not sure what to do next. Leave a review with suggestions for anything, dramatic events, smut scenes, etc. Much love!