Note: Um, yes, Harry and Draco did have sex in the last chapter. Was it a bit too subtle? Anyway, thanks to those who reviewed! There's some swearing in this chapter.

Ten

Harry awoke the next morning as though from the most wonderful dream. There was light trying to seep into his eyelids and he did not want to open his eyes. He wanted to hang onto this feeling for as long as possible. Grudgingly he wrenched back the bedclothes. There was no one in the common room. Glancing at his watch, he realised that it was half past eight and he was late for breakfast. As he pulled on his robes he wondered vaguely why Ron hadn't woken him up. Perhaps he'd wanted to get to studying as soon as possible, but that didn't really sound like Ron. Harry wasn't particularly bothered though as he thought of Draco and the night ahead. He just had to get through today…

The common room was ominously deserted and he began to feel strange as he walked down to the Great Hall. Was there some big event on that he had forgotten about? Where was everyone? He passed a couple of giggling first years on the stairs who pointed at him.

Let them point he thought viciously They'll know I told the truth about Voldemort soon enough

Though he noticed other people other people laughing in the entrance hall, he decided that today he didn't care. Nothing could hurt him today. But then he saw that everyone was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet. He wandered into the entrance hall, expecting the worst. Had Voldemort finally exposed himself?

He was greeted by an explosion of laughter as he entered the hall.

"Oh my God the fairy boy's here!"

"How's your love life, Harry?"

"Never thought you'd go for a Slytherin!"

Confused, Harry looked around wildly for Ron and Hermione, or for some explanation as to what on earth was going on. He reached the Gryffindor table to see Hermione looking extremely worried.

"Harry…"

"What the hell's going on?"

"Harry!" piped up Neville from beside him. "It's not true, is it? You aren't going out with Draco Malfoy are you?"

"What?" said Harry. This had to be a wind up. This couldn't be happening. Grimly, Hermione held up her copy of the Daily Prophet.

He saw a large photograph of himself looking dreamily into the eyes of Draco Malfoy before leaning forward to kiss him. The kiss seemed to last longer than Harry remembered. Then the action was repeated. The headline read:

"HARRY POTTER COMES OUT OF THE CLOSET: WITH THE SON OF A DEATH EATER!"

"Fuck" said Harry. "Fuck!"

He turned around to get out of the hall, his only thought to find Draco. He could see reproachful faces all around him, Cho and Ginny and even some of the teachers but he had to find Draco. This was a nightmare.

"Harry, wait!" Hermione followed him out of the room. Trying to ignore the shouts of:

"faggot!" and "Fairy-boy!", Harry stumbled out of the hall, scanning the entrance hall for any sign of a pale blonde head.

"Draco!" he called out in desperation. This caused another outburst of laughter.

"You lost your lover boy, Potter?" sneered Pansy Parkinson. "It's a wonder he hasn't caught some disease off you. Urgh!"

Harry spun around, feeling desperate. Hate seemed to radiate from all around him.

"Harry!" said Hermione. She gripped his shoulders and her concerned face came into focus.

"Harry, it's all right. Come with me, you have to get away from these idiots."

Dazed, he allowed himself to be led away from the baying crowds and into the grounds. Hermione didn't stop until they reached the furthest point from the castle, near Hagrid's hut which looked deserted. The sun shone down on the lake, the beautiful weather totally going against Harry's mood. He sat down, suddenly exhausted, as though he had run a marathon.

"Harry?"

Harry ran his hands through his hair, totally nonplussed.

"How the hell?"

Hermione sat down next to him and tossed him the paper.

"Rita Skeeter." she said in a quiet voice which was seething with rage. Resisting the urge to tear up the paper and go and perform the crucio curse on Rita as soon as possible, Harry simply vented his frustration by yelling:

"I'll kill her!"

"It's… It's true, isn't it Harry?" asked Hermione.

Harry didn't see any point in denying it. He nodded. Reading through the article, in an attempt to avoid Hermione's stare, he became increasingly embarrassed.

The Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal that the boy who defeated the Dark Lord has something new to occupy his mind. Harry Potter has finally found love- in an unlikely person! Draco Malfoy, a boy whose father Harry named as a Death Eater earlier this year has begun dating the boy wizard. Mr Malfoy, a Slytherin who admits that his feelings towards Harry Potter have not always been so tender, told the boy that he wished there was somewhere they could be alone to hide from the world.

Harry and Draco, who are not openly gay have had to hide their relationship from their fellow students who might not take to it very kindly.

"Draco's also really worried about what his father would say" said a source close to Mr Malfoy. "His dad hates Harry Potter ever since he set their house elf free and named him as a death eater."

The boys began seeing each other after bonding over a particularly rough detention, after which they decided to meet in secret each night. After a night of passion in a disclosed room at Hogwarts, Mr Malfoy admitted that he "needed" Mr Potter and was "unable to resist him".

But is Mr Malfoy himself in danger from the scar headed wizard? Reports from various students say that Harry is a danger to those around him and faints on a regular basis, complaining of visions and headaches. And after an interview Mr Potter gave to 'the Quibbler' , in which he declared You-Know-Who to be back, others claimed that he might be a bad influence on the other students.

"He's trying to brainwash everyone" said Pansy Parkinson, a fellow Hogwarts student. "He's just out for attention."

Whatever the verdict, it seems that Mr Malfoy had better be careful around Mr Potter. It is one thing for two boys to realise they have feelings for one each other, but it is a different thing entirely when one of them is mentally unstable. We wish Mr Malfoy the best of luck in what is sure to be a tumultuous and unsteady relationship.

Harry flung the paper as hard as he could and watched it drop into the lake.

"I cant believe this…" he muttered. It was all out there. Every private detail. Everyone knew about Draco and him, and there was photographic evidence to prove it. He suddenly remembered the flash of light Draco had mentioned after they'd kissed. Then-

"There was a beetle! Oh God, I cant believe I didn't realise who it was…"

He put his face in his hands. He didn't even feel remotely angry anymore. He just felt sick to his stomach. Things had fallen apart so spectacularly.

"You weren't to know, Harry" said Hermione, patting him awkwardly on the back. "I thought I'd made it clear that she wasn't to print any more nasty articles about you."

"But Hermione," he said wildly. "I mean, it's true. Well, except for the part about me being crazy obviously. But, I didn't think even she'd stoop so low."

"Well the next time I see a beetle I'm going to crush it just to make sure. And if I ever see her… Oooh I don't know what I'll do! It's such a gross invasion of privacy! She shouldn't even be able to get in the castle. If Dumbledore was here…"

Harry felt slightly comforted by her words. He looked around to see that the grass was devoid of any insects.

"So you don't hate me then?"

"No, of course I don't hate you!" she said, surprised. "I mean, I did wonder, after things went so disastrously with Cho that you might be… And things were always so intense with you and Malfoy. And then after you had that fight… But how did you go from being worst enemies to this?"

Harry sighed and laid back.

"It was after that stupid love potion thing. He kissed me and I kissed him back and then… I dunno… It was all so confusing. I didn't know if I loved him or hated him. And then, at detention… When we were left alone… He was so different. He actually talked to me like real person rather than just a smug git. And it just sort of happened."

"But he always seems so… horrible, especially to you." said Hermione, worriedly playing with a blade of grass.

"I know but… I think that's just his defence, really. I mean, I'm not making excuses for him, but his father's really messed him up. You should see him when he's not putting on that Slytherin act, Hermione… He's so different."

"So you really are in love? That's all true."

"Yeah" said Harry. "God, I need to find him."

He made to get up but Hermione tugged on his robes.

"Wait a minute Harry, I'm on your side but the whole school's buzzing about this. You should give it some time at least."

Harry suddenly realised something.

"Where's Ron?" he asked.

"Erm…"

"Hermione, where's Ron?"

"Harry, look" said Hermione, wringing her hands awkwardly. "He's not very happy about the article. Now I know he's not homophobic and I know he'd never want to hurt you but-"

"He hates me, doesn't he?" asked Harry sadly.

"No I'm sure that's not true. It's just a shock for him. That's all. I mean he really cant stand Malfoy, but once all this fuss dies down I'm sure he'll be reasonable and-"

But Harry had had enough. He wasn't going to hide in the grounds any longer. He'd had worse than this before, he thought, so let them laugh.

"Harry!" said Hermione, tugging at his sleeve. "Don't you think you should wait a bit before-"

"What's the point? I'm the Boy who Lived, the walking freak show and I'm used to it."

Hermione looked as though she was on the verge of tears. From the corner of his eye he could make out a group of Ravenclaw third years pointing and laughing. Hermione gripped his arm very tightly and he didn't shrug her off.

"Thanks, Hermione." he said awkwardly. He meant it.

Note: to the people who guessed it- well done!