Authors Note: I'm a little worried about this chapter...seems a little too...something...but I'm not sure what it is. I hope you all enjoy it and come back for the next one!
"He what?!" Hermione squealed, her eyes twinkling in amusement and utter excitement.
"Don't make me say it again." Harry groaned as he put down his fork. They were in the middle of dinner and Harry couldn't take it anymore. She kept looking at him like he was keeping something from her, which he was. And she was constantly asking what was wrong.
"Draco kissed you and you don't think it's worth repeating?" Hermione laughed. "So, are you dating or something?"
"No, of course not." Harry sighed causing Hermione to frown and furrow her eyebrows.
"He was just experimenting." Harry reluctantly explained the entire situation to her, from the conversation in the pub to the actual event outside Draco's flat. He normally didn't feel the need to talk about his romantic life but this wasn't exactly the same. He had to talk to somebody.
"Huh." Was all Hermione said when he finished.
"I really think I helped him prove his heterosexuality." Harry tried to laughed but failed.
"Why do you say that?" She inquired.
"He was so caviler about the whole thing, he wasn't effected in the slightest. I don't think he enjoyed it." Harry said in a self-deprecating way.
"I'm sure that's not true." Hermione said distractedly. She was seemingly in deep thought. "Liz was so sure that…"
"What?"
"What do mean what?"
"You said that Liz was so sure that…and you didn't finish. Liz was so sure that Draco was gay?" Harry questioned.
"Well…yeah. That Draco was a closet case." Hermione twirled a lock of her curly brown hair between two of her fingers. She was keeping something but Harry didn't feel the inclination or energy to pry further. Not that it would do any good. If the woman didn't want to discuss something, she wouldn't.
"She could've been wrong. We've never gotten that kind of vibe from him."
"No. You're right. We've not but I still can't help thinking she would know better."
"Better than his best friends?"
"Yes. Definitely." Hermione responded with an affirmative nod of her head.
Harry sighed and pushed his fork around his plate without any intention of eating. He was startled and almost fell out of his seat when Hermione slammed her glass down and jumped out of hers.
"Take him out to one of your gay places tonight. See how he acts."
"I don't have any places. I'm not really the club/bar type of guy, you know that. I did offer to take him out but I meat a Rainbow Pub or something. I don't know any clubs." Harry said as he waved his wandly carelessly, muttering a spell to begin washing their pots and pans.
Hermione scowled at his babbling and demanded. "Find one then." She then canceled his spell and non-verbally began one of her own. She was always complaining that Harry didn't put enough emphasis on his spell, which left the dishes only moderately clean.
"Seriously Hermione. I would rather go out on one of your blind dates." Harry wined and Hermione glared as she reached for her water glass.
"Speaking of…you haven't set me up again." Harry said before he thought about it. His eyes widened in fear that he'd just reminded her and she would immediately put the next date into action.
"Don't worry Harry. I have somebody in mind. He's just not ready yet." Hermione said, hiding a smile. Harry sighed in relief at not having to go out on another date just yet and wasn't even the slightest bit curious as to who she was referring to.
Harry was irritated that he couldn't find a single thing to wear. It wasn't because he wanted to attract Draco. Of course not. Draco had nothing to do with it. He sighed. Who was he kidding? His clothing choices of the night had everything to do with Draco. He felt significantly depressed at the thought of taking Draco, unsure of his sexuality, to a bar that housed dozens of men. Some of them would be sexy, hot, and confident. Everything that Harry felt he wasn't.
Just as he was trying on his sixth shirt of the evening, made of green silk, the door bell rang. Praying that it wasn't Draco, because he wasn't near ready and Draco would only berate him for it, Harry dashed to the door and threw it open, an apology already on his lips. But it wasn't Draco, it was Ron.
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked as he ushered Ron into the room.
"I'm going with you guys tonight. I got the 'ok' from Hermione." Ron said, grinning from ear to ear.
"You're what?" Draco's voice sounded behind the door Harry was attempting to close.
Harry groaned as he opened it back up fully and Draco walked through. He had never looked more delectable, Harry thought. Draco's hair was messy, purposefully messy that was sexy as hell. Harry quickly noted his outfit, dark jeans with an off white button down shirt. The shirt hung tightly against his chest and waist, all of the top buttons were undone.
"Going out to meet all the queers tonight!" Ron said laughingly. "Hermione said I'm allowed to flirt, just not touch."
"What the fuck Harry? You told Ron?" Draco looked in Harry's direction, unsure whether to be amused or irritated.
"No." Harry responded quickly.
"Hermione told me." Ron said at the same time.
"You told Hermione?" Draco shook his head.
"Yes. Well, kind of…Liz had talked to her first. I just filled in some personal details." Harry said as his skin turned a bright shade of fire engine red.
"Oh. Yeah." Draco said, face softening slightly. He wouldn't stay mad too much longer, Harry knew it. "I should have guessed that Liz and Hermione would talk."
"Obviously." Harry nodded.
"And you know it all do you?" Draco asked Ron. Draco knew the answer, it was a rhetorical question but Ron answered anyway.
"I know you and Harry have been making out."
"Ron! One kiss!" Harry shouted but Ron laughed, which caused Draco to laugh. And before he knew, Harry was amused as well.
"Alright. Lets' go, yeah?" Ron finally said.
"I'm not ready yet." Harry stated.
"Lord Harry! You look fine." Draco's gaze traveled the length of Harry's body. Harry blushed again.
"Five minutes." And with that being said, Harry darted into his bedroom and closed the door. He leaned against the wall for a few moments listening as Draco grumbled to Ron about Harry not being ready. It made him smile.
Finally, he decided on an outfit, a form fitting black tee-shirt that barely touched the top of his faded jeans. He frowned as he glanced in the mirror but he was out of time, it would have to do.
I'm not going to be able to do this. I can't look at that all night. This was Draco's first thought as he watched Harry lean against the back of his overstuffed chair to put on a pair of black trainers. He was absolutely gorgeous. Draco felt his heart pound in his chest as he watched the hem of Harry's shirt rise with the effort of his task, exposing a small strip of tanned flesh. Harry's muscles could be seen through the thin fabric of his shirt. Draco quickly shut his eyes as he felt the origins of an erection. He'd never reacted this way to Harry before. Well. Not more than a few times. But he'd never allowed himself to consider what it meant. Harry was his best friend. Harry was a boy. And Draco dated girls. That's what he'd been telling himself for years now. But he now saw things a little bit differently.
He was positive he was gay or at the very least bi-sexual. He was attracted to other men, he desired other men. He'd snuck of the evening before, without telling his friends, to a gay pub. He had sat with a stiff drink and watched longingly at the male couples. That had been his first bit dawning realization. The second had been the uncomfortable erection, he'd got while watching one couple kiss and maul each other at a corner table. It had been an eye opener to say the least. He'd realized in that moment that he could not longer tell himself that he wanted girls. He was stopping the lies.
He stared at Harry. He was fucking hot and he was openly admitting it to himself. Not in the way he'd always admitted that Harry was beautiful but in a different way. Or so he thought. Now as he thought of Harry's beauty, it was in a way that screamed the non-traditional. A way that stretched the boundaries of liking your best friend and broke them in half. A way that blew up the platonic. He was attracted to Harry, immensely attracted and obviously had been for a while but didn't really realize or understand it.
He had to turn away, an erection right now just wouldn't be on. Harry definitely didn't share his weird attraction and never would. He turned to Ron instead and had to suffer the indignity of Ron's knowing smirk when he nodded his head toward Harry and then waggled his eyebrows at Draco. Draco rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Very funny."
"I thought it was." Ron said with a wink.
"What?" Harry asked, straightening up and turning to them both.
"Nothing." Ron replied before Draco had the opportunity.
Harry shrugged and led their way out of his flat.
The music was so loud that Harry worried for his ear drums. It couldn't possibly be safe for their auditory health. The beat was rhythmic and some form of America hip-hop. It wasn't to Harry's taste, but of course, neither was the club atmosphere in it's entirety.
The room was dim and hot. Dozens of sweat glistened bodies pounded the floor, gyrating against each other in a good imitation of sex.
He exhaled noisily and as he followed Draco and Ron to a corner table. The table and chairs were grimy and he instantly complained.
"Disgusting!"
"What did you expect?" Ron laughed. Draco watched with great amusement as Harry meticulously ran a napkin over every last centimeter of his chair before sitting down.
"I don't know but is just a little bit of cleanliness too much to ask?" Harry huffed.
"Yes." Draco and Ron said at the same time.
"Who's getting drinks?" Draco asked shifting awkwardly in his seat.
"I will." Harry volunteered, glad for the chance to get away from Draco for a few minutes.
He approached the bar and fought his way through the crowd. Just as he reached the front, somebody moved and he seized the space immediately and threw his arms up onto the bar, a silent threat for anyone who might dare to usurp him from his newfound place. The bartenders were a blur and Harry heaved another sigh. The bar was so busy, he felt he'd never get any drinks.
"Hi. Are you alone?" A deep masculine voice asked from the vicinity of his left.
"I'm here with friends." Harry said, turning toward the man, curious to what he looked like. The line was so cliché and obvious that Harry expected to see a sleazy man with greasy hair and vintage clothes twenty years his senior. He was surprised that the man appeared to be his age, maybe just a few years older. He had short, spiky, light brown hair, and a defined masculine face. He was nice looking but nothing spectacular. His clothes, however, were spectacular. He was dressed head to toe in designer, just like how Draco dresses.
"I know. I've seen you at that table over there." The man said and pointed in the direction Harry knew Ron and Draco were sitting.
Harry unconsciously followed the other man's gaze and felt suddenly ill. In his chair, the one he'd just vacated barely five minutes before, sat a stranger. A stranger that was talking to Draco. Correction-a stranger that was making Draco laugh. Harry watched as Draco threw his head back in genuine amusement.
"I was just wondering if one of those guys was your boyfriend?" Harry faintly heard the man beside him ask.
"No." Harry responded, still staring at Draco. He felt like he could no longer breathe. And he realized that he was being ridiculously jealous. This was why they'd all ventured out to a gay club. So that Draco could expeirement and work out his sexuality. But he couldn't help himself, he saw red. He mentally entertained himself with thoughts of physically removing that man from the club. He and Ron could do it. Ron. Harry quickly scanned the table and couldn't see Ron anywhere. He'd been so focused on Draco that he'd not realized it sooner.
"Well, in that case, would you like to dance?" The man beside him asked confidently, reminding Harry that he was actually in the middle of a conversation.
"I'm flattered but no." Harry said distractedly and began to make his way from the bar. He had to back to their table. He didn't know what he was going to do when he got there but he knew that he couldn't twiddle his thumbs waiting for drinks when Draco was getting hit on.
Seconds before he reached the table, they stood. Draco noticed him walking toward them and smiled.
"We're going to dance," he informed Harry and trailed behind the stranger.
Harry watched with a heavy heart as they reached the dance floor and the man took Draco into his arms.
"Hey…where are the drinks?" Ron appeared at his side and he turned to face him.
"I forgot them."
"You forgot them? But that's what you left to do. How could you forget them?" Ron shook his head in confusion.
"Where were you?" Harry snapped.
"The bathroom." Ron responded normally, obviously choosing to ignore Harry's attitude.
Harry huffed and he found himself once again looking in Draco's direction. "Do they have to be so damn close? There's not room for a piece of parchment."
"Yes, Harry. It's called dancing. Well…in this place, it's more like dry humping but still."
"You're not helping, Ron."
"Mate, you have to calm down. He needs this." Ron said softly.
"I know." Harry sighed for what felt like the hundreth time that evening.
"He needs to truly understand himself and what he wants. And then one day, he'll realize how much he wants you. One day…I promise." Ron threw one of his arms around Harry's shoulders.
Harry smiled. He didn't quite believe Ron, but he appreciated the effort.
"Let's actually get a drink this time, yeah? I have to get a little tipsy since I don't have anybody to flirt with." Ron grinned.
Harry laughed. "You wouldn't flirt with anybody in a straight club. You're too afraid of my flat-mate."
Ron adopted a pensive look before pulling Harry toward the bar. "Yes…that's true," he grudgingly admitted.
The art of acting had always been easy for Draco. He could feign almost any emotion at almost any time. Like now. He was pretending to have a good time. He was smiling and laughing when needed but he was miserable. He couldn't get Harry off his mind. He'd seen Harry talking to some man at the bar and it had irked him something fierce.
The man with whom he was dancing, Timothy, was a worthy companion. He was handsome and charming with a decent sense of humour. But he wasn't Harry. He realized that he was supposed to be concentrating on other men, flirting with them. Dancing with other men. But he wanted to talk and dance with Harry.
"You're a good dancer." Timothy whispered into his ear.
"Thanks." Draco blushed slightly.
They danced for a couple of songs before finding a table and breaking for a drink. One turned into two. And two turned into three. He was feeling pleasantly tipsy and didn't anticipate Timothy's lips crashing down upon his.
It was fabulous kissing a man. He knew it was better than any kiss that he'd shared with a female. He could feel Timothy's rough stubble. He could feel the hard plains of Timothy's chest when he was pulled into a tight embrace.
But it still wasn't as great as that kiss with Harry. He pulled away quickly, upsetting himself by thinking of Harry at such an inopportune moment. That's it. He was finished experiementing for the night. He seriously needed a way to keep Harry out of his head before he tried again.
"What's wrong?" Timothy inquired.
"I have to go." Draco breathed.
"Come on. Don't be a tease. We were having a great time."
Draco became irritated quickly. He wasn't a tease. It had only been one kiss. One kiss that he himself had not even initiated. "Yes. And now it's over."
Draco found Harry and Ron sitting at the bar doing shots.
"Hey!" Ron greeted as Draco slid into the stool next to him. "Are you having fun?"
"Yeah."
"Good!" Ron was so chipper. He was pissed.
Harry glanced his way briefly before devoting his attentions to a nearby ashtray, pushing on it slightly with one of his fingers.
"So, what's the verdict mate? We're dying to know." Ron laughed and clapped Draco on the back.
"Huh?"
"Are you gay or not?" Harry said, finally facing him and offered a small smile.
"Yes, I do believe I am." Draco said meeting Harry's gaze.
"Excellent news!" Ron said amusedly.
"Oh, and why is that?" Draco inquired, still holding Harry's gaze.
"Because it will be easier for you to pretend to be Harry's boyfriend at the party."
Harry broke the contact first and looked sharply at Ron.
"Come again?"
Ron laughed heartily and drank another shot before answering, "Jonathon is having a party next weekend and he specifically requested your attendance. I would bring Draco as a buffer if I were you."
"Oh my god. You've got to be kidding me." Harry breathed.
