Lies at the Burrow

Harry decided to leave Sirius' bedroom too get himself some breakfast but he was still quite jumpy. Harry nervously, jumping a lot got to work in the old kitchen that he had made his summer job to clean up and then sat down eating the ASDA own brand Shreddies that were cheaper than proper Shreddies. He was still jumping at even the slightest sound from the creaky old house. He shook himself honestly; was he a Gryffindor or not? He was very pleased that this morning at least he hadn't seen much of Kreacher the little break nosed Black house elf who seemed to do no work around the house.

Not that Harry minded. Harry didn't approve of the way wizards used house elves it reminded Harry too much of the way the Dursleys had used Harry all through his pathetic excuse for a childhood. Harry found the little house elf down right creepy with the way he pottered around the house muttering under his breath. Sirius had ordered Kreacher to stay away from Harry last year because he believed his lover was a Muggle. He was just thinking that when there was a noise and the little, insane owl that Sirius had sent to Ron as a payment for taking his old pet from him arrived in the little kitchen that previous June whilst on the train from Hogwarts.

Harry read the parchment and was very much relieved to find that Ron had finally invited Harry to the Quidditch World Cup. They said they'd wrote to the Dursleys and Harry couldn't help what the Dursleys were saying about someone writing to them about their runaway nephew. Then something worried Harry the Weasleys had said that they'd pick him up from the Dursleys and Harry couldn't have that otherwise his secret would be out so Harry quickly went to Orion Black's Office and wrote back to Ron saying that he had managed to convince his uncle to give him a lift.

This of course was a lie. Harry hated lying to his friends but it was better than being sent back to the Dursleys so Harry bought a map and worked out the route getting from Kings Cross to the station at Ottery Saint Catchpole then walked the few miles to the Weasleys home hoping nobody would mind them not bringing his relatives into the house. Harry was quite tired it had taken Harry most of the day and several trains to get to the Weasleys home and wasn't in the mood to be lying to those he cared about.

Harry reached a hand to chap on the door of the Weasleys home waiting for a red head to come to the door. After waiting for a few minutes outside the Burrow listening to the shouts from inside and then Mrs Weasley answered beaming at the teenager she saw as a seventh son who smiled back rather timidly at her. But he did seem to be more confident than when he had been twelve years old. She reacted naturally to the skinny little boy who would have just turned fourteen pulling the boy into a mother bear hug and was please to note though the boy was still thin he didn't seem to be as malnourished as he had been before it seemed over the two years that had gone by since she had last seen the teenager that he his metabolism had slowed or he had started eating more as he had put on some weight. Maybe that aunt of his that the boy didn't seem to talk about; well not to her, at least had finally managed to learn what meals and nutrition that a teenaged boy needed.

Molly finally let go of the boy still beaming at him, 'Harry come in come,' Molly gestured, 'come in,' Molly repeated and ushered the teenager into her home hoping he hadn't already had lunch at his home. 'You're looking well,' Molly complimented glad that the boy wasn't as skinny as he usually was. 'Where are your family?' asked Molly looking around, 'I was going to invite them in for lunch.'

Harry couldn't tell her that he had got the train she wouldn't be impressed by that, 'they just dropped me off,' replied Harry lying through his teeth, 'Apparently Aunt Petunia wanted to get back to Surrey in time for her to put the dinner on so that her little Diddykins,' Harry rolled his eyes, 'didn't starve or something like that,' Harry lied calmly.

Molly shook her head he would have invited them in but she remembered that the Dursleys didn't like magic so probably wouldn't accept it from them especially when the meals were all magically made. 'They could have had dinner with us,' Molly told the young boy who didn't answer and then told him what he most likely wanted to know, 'the others are in the kitchen,' Molly directed the boy to where Ron and Hermione were.

'Thanks,' Harry smiled.

Harry followed Mrs Weasley into the kitchen and entered to see many of the red heads he already knew, a few he had never met and Hermione Granger. Harry was pleased to not that he was far less jumpy than he had been last time he had entered the Burrow where he jumped at everything. But then again the last time he had been to the Burrow was only days after his uncle had done it and Harry had just woken up from being left unconscious. Harry shivered at the direction his thoughts had taken and turned his thoughts away from THAT horrific day that still haunted Harry's dreams for months afterwards.

Harry looked to the new red heads that Harry hadn't met before hand and saw Ron's two older brothers who must be Bill and Charlie Weasley. There was shorter, stockier, sun burnt read head that also had burn scars over his hands and arms. Harry knew who it must be because the burns that only Charlie the Dragon Handler could have got from spending so much time with the dragons throughout the years. That left the other new red head who was kind of handsome if Harry hadn't already been in love with Sirius then he would have quite liked the oldest Weasley brother as Bill who was tall, muscular with long red hair and a fanged earring that Harry thought was really, really cool. Some Head Boy and banker he was.

Harry soon settled right into the familiar routine of the Burrow with the Weasleys who were family in all but blood and it was only a few days later after arriving to Burrow and attending the Quidditch World cups and all the terrible events that had occurred the night after the Quidditch World Cup had been won. Harry had needed to take cover from something almost more frightening than the Death Eaters – Ginny's very much unwanted and completely unasked for advances! What was it about that girl and the word no?

Harry had not yet had the courage to tell his friends about his sexual orientation so they along with Ginny unfortunately still thought Harry was straight when he was so not straight, not even close. Harry had always been rather frightened of how the Weasleys in particular Ron and Hermione would take the truth about his orientation. He had heard the Dursleys going on about homosexuals constantly. Would they have the same reaction as the Dursleys if they ever found out? Harry didn't know but he wasn't going to risk it!

A small amount of hope that they wouldn't act like the Dursleys they would accept it. After all Vernon had nothing to say against gays after all he was paedophilic gay. But Harry couldn't know that for sure so hadn't said anything. But Ginny's one sided feelings towards him that would in the end just cause her a lot of pain when she realised there was never going to be anything between them more than friendship had made the idea about coming out of the closest a more and more attractive option by the day. Harry hid behind the counter hoping that Bill wouldn't give away his spot.

Harry gave Bill a pleading look as he hid behind the counted, 'Bill I am not here,' Harry begged the older, attractive boy.

Bill felt worried about the boy's antics and just raised his ginger eyebrows silently asking the boy why he was hiding? After all he seemed to be too old to playing hide and seek! Bill looked at Harry Potter who was one of his youngest brother's best friends who was looking petrified of something or the other. Harry was acting very unusual just now he hadn't even looked that frightened when he was being chased by Death Eaters. What had happened to scare the young seeker so much?

Bill didn't know but at this every instinct that he had as a wizard, a Gryffindor and a fully trained Curse Breaker were heightened at the present moment. Bill glanced around looking for what was frightening the boy. But his unspoken question was answered two seconds later when his youngest sibling and only sister burst into the kitchen. Bill watched as she looked all around the room obviously for Harry. Bill wondered what the two teenagers were doing. But Harry looked terrified of the girl.

When Ginny couldn't see Harry in the kitchen she turned to her brother, 'you haven't see Harry have you?' asked the young thirteen year old girl.

Bill still had no idea what was wrong but decided to inform Ginny of Harry's place and pointed wordlessly under the counter so that Ginny could see the place where the Boy Who Lived was doing his best to hide from his little sister. Bill watched Ginny and Harry carefully so he could finally find out what was going on. Ginny walked over to where Bill had pointed to with a very fiery and strong expression very reminiscent of their mother that Bill had seen only to many times in Molly Weasley's eyes usually when she was going on about Bill's hair.

Bill knew that he had blue eyes like his father as did Charlie, Percy and Ron whilst Ginny and the twins had inherited Molly Weasleys' deep, brown eyes. Bill watched as Ginny pulled the terrified looking cowering teenage boy out from where he was hidden under the cabinets with a very possessive look on his face. Ginny then proceeded to pin Harry against the cupboard as Harry tried to get away struggling against the girl's strong hold on his skinny little arms his head banging against the cupboard.

Then the young red head girl proceeded to kiss the raven haired boy passionately who obviously did not feel the same way towards Ginny as Ginny did to Harry. Ginny was kissing passionately as Harry fought desperately back to end the kiss he so did not want. After Bill realised what was going Bill decided to rescue his fellow male from a female pursuer even if the girl in question was his little sister. Bill pulled them apart and Harry hid behind him obviously not wanting anywhere near Ginny in case she tried to kiss him once again.

'Thanks,' Harry muttered into his ear.

Ginny seemed pretty upset by the fact that Harry didn't want her, 'what's wrong with me?' demanded the girl. Ginny obviously had a very strong teenage crush on Harry and thought that it was two sided when it was quite obviously not.

'Nothing,' whispered Harry.

'Then why is it that I'm not good enough for famous Harry Potter?' demanded Ginny unwittingly sounding like Snape and making Bill frown; did she only like the boy for his fame? It certainly sounded that way!

Harry shook his head desperately seeming even more scared than before, 'nothing, nothing,' Harry tried desperately to placate the angry red headed girl who wanted him so badly. Bill felt immensely sorry for the teenaged boy.

Ginny glared at Harry obviously not believing Harry, 'then why is that you do not want me?' demanded the angry Weasley her brown eyes tear filled but still blazing with anger despite the tears.

Harry opened and shut his mouth several times before he answered the question, 'you're not my kettle of fish,' Harry said drily.

Ginny's eyes filled with more tears looking distraught not understanding what Harry was saying, 'are you saying I have fish lips?' demanded Ginny her own insecurities coming out in her huge crush on the Boy Who Lived.

Again Bill watched as the boy tried to placate his little sister desperately, 'no, no, it's not that,' Harry tried again begging Bill with his eyes to save him.

Bill stepped in to help the young boy, 'I think I know what Harry's trying to say,' Bill smirked.

'What?' demanded Ginny.

'He's gay,' Bill said.

Harry's mouth fell open comically, 'what? How?' the boy stuttered as his eyes bulged.

'It's obvious,' Bill shrugged. 'Charlie's gay I remember what he said to fend off the girls who fancied him before he came out.'

'Oh,' Harry said, 'and you don't mind?' Harry asked.

'Course not,' Bill laughed.

Ginny joined in obviously a lot happier that it wasn't her but Harry that made them not go out. 'Well why didn't you say?' laughed Ginny tears drying on her face. 'Now we can go shopping,' Ginny said happily.

Harry quite rightfully looked traumatized at the time, 'I'm gay not a girl,' Harry wrinkled his nose in disgust at the idea of going shopping. 'But you really don't mind?'

'No Harry,' Bill said softly.

'But the Dursleys-'began Harry.

'Are they homophobes?' asked Bill.

Harry nodded in response wondering how his uncle could be a homophobe and lust for him in such an obvious way when he raped Harry. Harry shivered slightly at the memory. But then he remembered someone saying that those who hated abnormalities the most were those who were the most abnormal and giving what Vernon was interested in then you could say he was most certainly not a normal uncle. But Harry was still not ready to reveal to the world his sexual orientation.

'The Wizarding World is a lot more accepting,' Bill told the boy.

'Really?' asked Harry.

'Yeah,' Bill shrugged, 'always has been.'

'Would you prefer if we didn't say anything?' asked Ginny.

'Please,' nodded Harry.