Harry and Ginny were sitting a park, silently watching some pigeons eating a dropped cracker. Harry was on his third cigarette. Ginny was waiting for an explanation, but knew better than to pressure Harry. He had Apparated into her apartment, grabbed her arm without saying a word, and Disapparated them both into this park, where they had been sitting for over an hour. Someone Ginny was pretty sure was an ex-Hogwarts student was eyeing them with interest, but Harry was used to ignoring those kinds of looks.

"Harry…" Ginny watched as he lit a fourth cigarette with the butt of his third. "You know that's not healthy, right?"

"Fuck off," Harry brought the cigarette to his lips and inhaled defiantly.

"Harry, why are we here?"

"I needed to think."

"And you brought me with you, why?"

Harry nervously tapped his cigarette and watched the ashes fall onto the dirt below their bench. "I thought I needed to talk to someone. Maybe I was wrong. I'm sorry. You can go back."

"I don't mind staying. You can talk if you need."

Harry nodded and watched the group of pigeons scatter to find more food. One of them pecked its way over to their bench. "Ron apologized."

"Well, that's good, right?"

"Sort of… we started talking. I told him I was sick of him ignoring me. He said he did it because I'm bleeding happy, successful and settled and not as fucking alone as he is. Complete tosser. How dare he tell me I'm happy, settled and not alone? He doesn't know anything about me or my life. He doesn't give a damn."

Ginny frowned. "Maybe you should go back and talk to him… tell him how you feel. Tell him you're not as happy as he thinks."

"I did." Harry sucked on his cigarette again and waited a few minutes before continuing. "And I told him."

Ginny waited for more of an explanation. "Told him what?"

"You know… told him."

Ginny's eyes widened and she grabbed Harry's knee. "You did? What did you say? What did he say? Oh, Harry…"

Harry grunted and tapped his cigarette. "I told him I slept with a bloke. He told me that he'd always known... saw me and Dan kissing sixth year. And that means that Ron knew before you did, before Hermione did, before anyone did. And he never said anything about it to me."

"It's not like you ever said anything about it to him," Ginny reasoned.

"That's not the point." Harry stabbed his cigarette out on one of the bench's wooden planks. "The point is… he figured out that I… you know."

"Fancy him? Maybe if you actually learned to say the words, you wouldn't be so miserable all the time, Harry. You said Voldemort's name without fear when you were eleven years old – it's fifteen years later and you can't even say you're gay or that you fancy Ron."

Harry pulled his wand out of his jacket and fiddled with it, glancing up at the ex-Hogwartian, knowing that he had confirmed her suspicions about who was sitting on the bench. "Yeah, well… it's a bit different, I suppose." He sighed and kicked at the pigeon. "It doesn't matter now anyway. I'm moving out."

"Harry, I'm sure it's not that bad. Ron's… he doesn't care. You know that."

"I know that." Harry looked up at the sky and cursed loudly. "He kissed me."

Ginny's hand flew to her mouth. "Merlin! He kissed you?"

Harry nodded. "He kissed me. Straight, Ickle Ronniekins." Without thinking, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit another one.

"If he kissed you… is he gay?"

"Don't be stupid. He said, he told me, 'I'm straight.' He's straight, Ginny… always has been, always will be. And I know it. And I need to get over him."

"No, Harry…" Ginny bit her lip and racked her brain desperately. "Harry, if Ron kissed you, then… then he's not straight… he kissed you."

"I fucking know he kissed me!" Harry thrust his wand back into his jacket and crossed his arms. "He looked at me and told me that he's straight and then he went and bloody kissed me to 'see what it was like.' He's a git and I'm not talking to him again and I'm moving out."

"Harry, don't be so rash." Ginny leaned her head against his shoulder. "Besides… you smelled like cum when we first got here. Explain that one."

Harry chewed on his tongue. "You weren't supposed to catch that cleaning spell," he admitted, sticking the cigarette between his lips and leaving it there. "I thought I was quick."

Ginny sat up and forced Harry to meet her gaze. "Harry, he more than kissed you. Obviously, he's not straight. I mean, I admit it, I'm pretty shocked about it, too. But, you have to admit it that… that maybe there's a chance after all that Ron fancies you right back."

Harry grunted and looked away, inhaling and pulling the cigarette away as he exhaled. "He doesn't fancy me, Ginny. He's just a slut. He always has been. You know that."

Ginny frowned at the deep sadness running through Harry's deep voice. "Harry… would you at least go back and talk to him before making assumptions? Would you just, for once, let something good happen to you without doing everything you can to make sure you fuck it up?"

Harry sighed deeply and finished his cigarette in silence. Stabbing it out, he turned back to Ginny. "Fine. But, I'm telling you, he's not a bloody shirt-lifter. Come on." Harry stood and held out his hand, pulling Ginny up with him. "I'll buy you dinner."