In Continuation Part 4 -

Confused Minds and Walks By The Lake

"I'm sorry, Draco."

"It's alright. I know you won't do it again, will you?" Draco said, a pleading note creeping into his voice.

"No promises," said Harry.

"Oh, come on…"

"No. Because I like you. In a gay way. Nothing wrong with that."

"There's plenty wrong with that," shot back Draco. "Why are you Mister I'm-definitely-gay all of a sudden?"

"It must have been the corridor. I started thinking how sexy you were, and then I couldn't stop. It was like, I want him in bed."

"You've had me in bed," Draco replied sulkily. "And you shoved me out."

"If that happens again, I'll let you stay."

"It won't."

"What?"

"Won't happen again." Draco trailed his hand along the corridor wall. "May I ask where we're going?"

Harry said, "Gryffindor Tower."

"I can't very well go there, can I?"

"Well, no…"

"So," Draco said briskly, "I'm going to my dormitory. Bye, Harry!"

He waved cheerfully, as if nothing had happened between them in the dim Potions corridor, and raced off before Harry could stop him.

"Damn," muttered Harry, stubbing his toe on the first step, "I really thought I had him that time."

* * * * * * *

Harry climbed through the portrait hole and was greeted by Ron and Hermione rushing up to him. "Harry!" Hermione shrieked, enveloping him in a tight hug. "Are you all right?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" said Harry, trying to sound unconcerned.

"You know," Ron said, then lowered his voice to a whisper, "What did Snape do?"

"He's chucked me out of Potions, and tomorrow he's going to complain to Dumbledore."

"Harry!"

"I'm not kidding."

Hermione protested, "Don't you care?"

"I have better things to worry about," replied Harry cooly.

"That's a pretty big thing, if you ask me," stated Ron, chewing his lower lip. "What about your O.W.L.s?"

"So I'm not going to fail Potions," said Harry, shrugging. "Sounds like a good thing to me."

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other. "Harry…"

"What?" asked Harry irritably.

"Is something wrong with you? Are you, like, on drugs?" Hermione's words came out in a rush. "Because you've been awful strange and dreamy lately, and we're worried. You can tell us, we're your friends."

"No," laughed Harry. "Don't worry, I would never do anything as stupid as that."

Both Ron and Hermione relaxed visibly. Then Ron said, "Is it Malfoy?"

Harry twitched. He'd been avoiding the subject, as he was too embarrassed about the incident in the corridor - although no one knew about it. Hermione saw the movement and jumped in on it.

"It's Malfoy! Tell us what he did to you, Harry, we'll kick his scrawny ass from here to Hogsmeade…"

"No," protested Harry, shaking his head vigorously. "He helped me, actually. If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it."

Ron said, "Sure. We understand. And if you ever need to talk, we're right here!" He pulled a comical face. "What say you we go for a walk by the lake? The afternoon's still young."

They went.

* * * * * * *

Draco rested his head on the cool grass by the lakeside. Since it was autumn, even at 5 o' clock the sun was only at half brightness. He was tucked away under a low-branched tree, alone and sheltered. He was trying to sort out his jumbled thoughts, and wasn't making much progress.

Am I gay? He wondered. I flirt, sure. I didn't know anybody took me seriously. It's harmless fun, that's all. Only perhaps now not quite so harmless. Geez, I think I turned Harry Potter gay. That has to be a crime or something. The Boy Who Lived! Gay! He swallowed back a gulp of helpless laughter. And I turned him gay and I left him!

How does he feel? I hope he's not mad at me. He should understand. I'm so confused…!

He stopped as he heard footsteps, and Harry's voice floated into his range of hearing.

"I don't know what to think," he was saying.

Draco lay still and held his breath.

Hermione replied, "Look at it a different way. The war was good because it united the people for the first time in centuries, and after they won they stayed united. There were no more civil disputes, and the new nation prospered. Not every aspect of war is negative, Harry."

Harry said grudgingly, "I suppose…" he suddenly laughed. "You must be the only person who manages to stay awake in Binns's class!"

Draco slowly released his breath. They weren't talking about him after all. He gave himself a mental kick in the behind. You're not the centre of everyone's universe, cretin.

Ron said, ponderingly, "Harry, you said Malfoy helped you. In what way?"

Weasley can't stop talking about me. It seems like his mind is fixated on yours truly… thought Draco triumphantly.

"I don't really want to talk about it," stated Harry flatly.

"Go on…" wheedled Ron.

"If you really have to know," Harry was beginning to sound irritated, "Snape was chewing me out, and he came in to say something to Snape, which had nothing to do with me, but it distracted Snape, what with being his pet and all. Then Snape told me to leave, which saved me from the big lecture. That's all."

"Oh," said a disappointed Ron.

The group moved off. Draco crawled out from under the tree, trying to figure out why Harry should lie to his friends. He hadn't expected him to tell them about the kiss, but the rest seemed tellable stuff…

Just as he was brushing himself down, he heard a mild oath from Harry. "I must have dropped my wand, guys," he was saying. "You go back, okay? I'll meet you for dinner."

Draco froze, deer in headlights. He stared stupidly at Harry's wand, resting on the grass half a foot from where he was very obviously standing. And Harry pushed a branch aside, and saw him.

"Draco."

"Harry," Draco countered, managing to calm his voice.

Harry exploded. "What the hell are you doing here?" he growled, catching Draco by the wrists and pinning him to a tree. "Were you spying on us? Were you?"

Draco flinched. "No," he drawled quietly. "I was here first, actually."

"Why not come and say hi, then?" Harry shouted in his face, beyond reasoning.

"What was I supposed to do?" Draco yelled back, losing his temper. "Say hi? What would you all have thought? You wouldn't exactly have received me with open arms, I can tell you that much."

Harry subsided. "What were you doing, then?"

"Thinking," replied Draco. "I found a nice little hidden place."

"Show me," Harry commanded.

Draco dropped to his knees and pulled back the overhanging branch. Harry crawled in, and motioned for Draco to follow him. Draco hesitated.

"It's only really big enough for one person…"

"Excuses," said Harry.

Draco rolled in, albeit reluctantly, so he was lying next to Harry.

"What's your favourite colour, Draco?" Harry asked, trying to make conversation.

"Green," Draco answered without thinking.

"Oh?"

"Yours?"

"My eyes are green," Harry mused, ignoring the question.

"Don't think I don't know that," Draco warned.

Harry said, "Maybe my favourite colour is silver," and reached out to touch the other boy's hair.

Draco recoiled instinctively. "Harry, don't," he pleaded.

"Don't what? Pretend I don't want you?"

"I can't," Draco asserted, inching out of the shelter. "I'm so confused. Maybe you've got it made, but I haven't."

"Talk to me, I'll help you sort it out."

Draco shook his head vehemently. "I don't know, Harry… I don't know if I'm gay, I don't know if I like you more than a friend, I can't be what I'm not!"

Harry sat up as much as he could. "Don't you want to try?"

"I can't," Draco repeated, and fled.

Harry sighed, and crawled out of the hollow. "Every time I get close to him, he runs away," he said to himself, in frustration.

"Maybe you're coming on to him too strongly," said Ron.

==============================================

This will be the last chapter before I go on holiday (yes, again!)

My reviews seem to have mucked up, so if I responded twice, or excluded you, sorry.

c --- Yes.

Superbra --- That was an alternate ending. I chose to continue the story using the most popular ending, the third one. So nothing actually happened between Draco and Ginny. But she does think he's hot…

Ambrosius --- *g* No problem. Engraved? I was thinking indelible ink…

sugarhi-san --- Yes, there is more. After the holiday.

And thanks to my reviewers (sorry if I haven't got you all down!)

Sailor_Chibi, SoulSister, tali, Gwen, Erin_baka, Brittanie, Jessy, Pastles, Lorien, Gilligan, Princess of Mirrors, Dreamer, and Whispers in the Soup.