A/N: this story takes place during 6th year and so far it's undetermined if it'll follow the vanishing cabinet plot :)
Harry's POV
I roll my eyes as Cormac McLaggen marches towards the spot where draco is in a little huddle with his friends on the opposite end of the courtyard to start his daily dose of harassment towards them, he's been relentless since the school year started and it's getting on everyone's nerves.
"Why the long face Malfoy? Upset your daddy won't be sending you anymore money now that he's in Azkaban where he belongs? Or are you just sad because you still haven't found a bloke that'd ever want to shag someone like you-" McLaggen starts to say tauntingly and my fist clenched from it's place on my lap. Ever since Draco came out as gay last year after the battle in the department of mysteries was dealt with a large portion of students from all the houses including Slytherins have began to take part in teasing and mocking him for it. I hate it, I hate that they feel like they have the right to bully him just because he is attracted to blokes. What he does in his own time, who decides he wants to be in bed with, is his business. And when I'd found out that little piece of information I had cheered internally because it meant that I had a chance, I've been in love with him since our third year. No one knows this though, I never told anyone, not even Ron or Hermione. Hell, no one even knows that I'm gay, I already get enough attention drawn to me as it is. I've known that I'm gay since the beginning of 3rd year when I started noticing that my gaze would linger on my male classmates, Draco in particular. At first I was freaked out about it and tried as best as I could to get those thoughts out of my head, but by the middle of the school year I was completely smitten and completely accepted those thoughts and feelings. I snap myself out of my thoughts and focus back on the situation at hand. Without a word of warning I stand up abruptly from my spot in between Ron and Hermione on the stone bench we've been on for the past hour and begin to march across the courtyard to where McLaggen and the group of slytherins are.
"That's enough McLaggen" I say firmly as I grab said boy by the shoulder and shove him away from my favorite blonde slightly who's beautiful grey eyes widen slightly at the fact that I'm actually defending him.
"What? Oh come off it Potter you hate this lot just as much as the rest of us" McLaggen scoffs moving to go past me to bug Draco some more.
"Actually I don't" I say bluntly, making Blaise, Theo and Pansy's eyes go wide. but their eyes couldn't possibly be as wide as they silvery grey pools staring at me in disbelief.
"I may disagree with the way they see things more often than not, and yes I do clash with some of them from time to time when they get on my nerves. But I don't hate them, I never have and I never will" I say honestly with a slight shrug.
"How can you possibly want to defend them?! They're literal snakes-" McLaggen says angrily.
"Because I know better than anyone else how it feels to be an outsider. I live with muggles that hate everything to do with magic, that hate me because I'm a freak in their eyes. And I'm just doing for the 'snakes' as you call them what I'd grown up wishing someone would do for me, giving them just one person the supports them with no judgement, no expectations, just understanding" I cut him off firmly and oseveral students in hearing range gasp and start muttering to each other throughout the courtyard.
"And another thing, how dare you go after somebody because they happen to prefer their partner to be someone the same gender as them? What gives you the right to try and dictate who people can and cannot date?" I ask harshly.
"It's-It's not natural-" McLaggen stammers trying to get his words together.
"We wave wands, wear robes and coexist with ghosts and magical creatures, the entire wizarding world is considered unnatural by muggles! Who others decide to have as their partners is their choice, you don't have to like it, none of you do. Take me for example, I've been attracted to blokes for almost 3 years and never said a thing until now. And do you know why? Because I didn't have to, who I choose to spend my free time with and have romantic feelings for is my business. I am a human being just like all of you even though more often than not you all seem to forget that as you try to keep me high up on this pedestal that I want nothing to do with!" I say bluntly, taking a light pleasure in the way McLaggen pales slightly at my words and in the back of my mind I faintly register the sound of Draco's breath hitching and file that away for later.
"People are allowed to like who they like, and as I said you don't have to like it or agree with it, because it's none of your business. If Draco desides to shack up with one of his buddies or a random bloke he will, if I wake up one day and decide to sleep with, Merlin forbid, a Slytherin, I will. We all have the right to live our lives however we choose, whether that means giving up our magic to live like muggles, or going to work in the ministry or handling magical creatures, or even choosing to have someone of the same gender as our life partner. Life is full of choices and endless possibilities and if I were you I'd stop worrying about what my classmates are doing with their personal lives and start worrying about your own" I say bluntly.
"How do we know your not lying about being gay just to get me off of Malfoy's back?" McLaggen asks bluntly and I hold back a smirk as an idea pops into my head.
"If I was straight would I willingly decide to do this" I ask bluntly before turning to Draco and firmly pull him to me by his tie and plant my lips on his in a passionate kiss that makes him let out a quiet squeak against my lips as his hand fumbles against my chest to find something to grasp. After a moment I reluctantly pull back from the kiss and gently smooth out his tie before stepping back slightly, the taste of Draco's coffee from this morning's breakfast still on my lips.
"Save everyone the bother and just go back to the quidditch pitch McLaggen, you've caused enough trouble" I say firmly as I focus back on McLaggen who immediately staggers back a few steps, his eyes as wide as gallions. I focus back on my favorite Slytherin who is now staring at me with even wider eyes and I have to hold back a slight smirk when he goes to touch his lips with the middle and index finger of his left hand.
"Sorry about your tie" I whisper just loud enough for him to hear, shooting him a quick wink before turning and walking away from him to go into the school, ignoring of all the shocked looks from fellow students including Ron and Hermione.
A Few Hours Later
I hum softly as I lean back against my favorite tree by the black lake, it's been a few hours since the 'incident' in the courtyard and I've been hiding out here for the past hour or so. Soon after I'd made it to Gryffindor tower after I'd gone inside Ron and Hermione and dragged me into the Gryffindor common room demanding answers. There was a lot of bickering back and forth at first but in the end they were very supportive of me, although I think things may be a bit awkward between me and Ron for a while until he gets used to knowing I'm attracted to blokes, and there's also the fact tbat he's been trying to set me up with Ginny for weeks now...
"Potter!" I hear the voice of favorite Slytherin call out, snapping me out of my thoughts as I turn my head to look over to see Draco jogging, or more like elegantly speed walking, towards me
"What's up D-Malfoy?" I ask, reluctantly correcting myself before I say his first name since we're not quite there yet. I notice automatically that this was the wrong move when I spot some hurt flash in his eyes briefly before disappearing as quick as it came when he makes it over to me.
"I-um-what was that earlier?" He struggles to get out, his voice trailing off in a whisper at the last word making me smile slightly.
"Putting a stop to McLaggen bothering you, it was driving me nuts and you didn't deserve any of it" I reply honestly.
"But-but why?" He whispers hesitantly, biting his bottom lip slightly.
"Because no one deserves to be treated that way, especially for loving who they love" I murmur with a small smile, trying desperately to not focus on the way his teeth are digging into his perfect.
"So...are you...you're really-" he tries to ask slightly wide eyed.
"Bisexual? Yes, yes I am" I reply softly, saving him the trouble of asking.
"And listen don't worry about whether my coming out was to get everyone to lay off of bugging you, it was time I came out anyway. With my reputation it's not like I could hide it forever right?" I say with a playful smirk when he looks like he wants to say something.
"Right.." He says softly, looking unsure of what else to say.
"Hey listen I'm glad you came over here, I wanted to talk to you about something" I murmur as I gesture for him to follow my lead before sitting down on the grass. He takes my hint and slowly lowers himself down to the spot next to me.
"What did you wanna talk about?" He asks softly.
"Tell me the truth...do you genuinely want to be mean? Or is it just a behavior you've picked up because of your dad?" I ask as I turn my body slightly so I'm facing him and his eyes go wide. I stare into his grey pools and see everything he's not acknowledging: sadness, pain, torment,shame and...fear.
"I knew it" I say softly, nodding when he fails to reply verbally.
"I-he-" Draco stammers slightly.
"You don't need to explain...but, just so you know...you don't have to act like that, you don't have to behave like an ass to force people to like you or acknowledge you" I say softly and he bites his lip.
"You know...when we first met, at Madam Malkin's robe shop...I liked you" I say hesitantly, a bit I'm sure about how he'd take that.
"You...you did?" He asks, shock written all over his face and swimming in his wide eyes.
"Yeah I did...but then you started going on about 'the wrong sorts' and insulting Hagrid who at that point had been the only person in my life that had ever shown me any kindness...you reminded me too much of my cousin Dudley, like a richer, more refined version of him and I didn't like it" I say lowly.
"And I'm not saying all of this to rehash the past or whatever...I just thought that you'd like to know if you hadn't tried so hard things could've been different back then" I say softly when I notice him start to look down at his lap biting his lip.
"But...it's not too late for things to be different now, we can start over. If you'd want that" I say softly and his head snaps up to look at me wide eyed.
"R-really?" He whispers, looking as if he's waiting for me to take it back.
"Really, I want us to start over. I'd like for us to try and be friends. I know that it won't happen over night or maybe over the next few weeks but I'd like for us to at least try and progress slowly so that we're comfortable around each other" I tell him honestly, looking directly into his eyes the whole time I'm speaking so he can see for himself that I'm not lying.
"I-I'd like that...very much" he says softly, and it takes everything in me to not focus on his mouth when his tongue pokes out slightly to wet his bottom lip.
"Me too...but there do need to be a few changes" I say softly and he nods hesitantly as a gesture for me to continue.
"First, can we both agree to stop stepping on each other's toes every chance we get?" I ask teasingly and his lips turn up slightly in a playful smirk.
"Well...I dunno Potter, getting on your nerves has become my favorite past time over the years" he says jokingly.
"Oh trust me I know...how about this we can still poke fun at each other but...not as intense as we used to, deal?" I rephrase with my own playful smirk.
"It's a deal" he smiles.
"Good, and second..." I say with my own smile, knowing that this second one is really going to put the wind out of his sails slightly.
"No more calling Hermione a mudblood or insulting the Weasleys. If we're going to be friends now you need to learn how to get along with, or at the very least tolerate my friends" I finish softly and he freezes in place slightly, bitting his lip momentarily before snapping out of it.
"Ok...I'll try" he says softly and I grin.
"That's all I ask" I tell him softly, knowing that this is a good place to start our new friendship. And hopefully, maybe one day, it could possibly develop into something more.