Hopeless romantic: I never thought I would like a story like this either much less write it but it turns out that I am a sucker for angsty, boy loves boy stuff. *sigh*
Fiery disposition: Since you are looking forward to the ending, I hope that means you'll be with us through the duration for the rest of this school year because I do intend to end it with graduation. The end is way off, but it will be enjoyable when you get there. I hope so, anyway.
Tine: Thanks for the birthday song. Don't freak out too much over my updates or you're going to hurt yourself. I laughed when I saw that Draco and Harry getting together was a little rushed considering it was chapter eighteen, but then I saw your explanation so I hoped that was just it. The story was trudging along as it was. Who did Harry have sex with? Hm. I think I made up an answer to that question but I believe I don't remember. Shall I make someone up off the top of my head right now? I don't know. I get my answers crossed between my stories. You make up who Harry had sex with.
Makalaseri: You flatter me with more compliments than I deserve. Thank you. *blushes*
To anyone else who read and/or reviewed, thank you and I hope you like this chapter when we get to see just how much Snape screwed Ron up in the last one.
DISCLAIMER: Honestly, if I owned Harry Potter in any way, would I be writing crap like this? No. Not at all. In fact, if I owned Harry Potter, there would be a good chance you would have never heard of it because I don't know how to write a query letter so I would have never been published. I do own Kali, this messed up plot (God help me), Servius (who is temporarily gone), and Drusilla (who is dead). In short, I am not making any money off this trifle of a story, which isn't to say I don't wish I was making money from this story, but I'm not. In fact, I'm not making money for anything I do. You don't make big bucks watching Kevin Smith movies (Snootchie Bootchies) and drooling over Alan Rickman.
Part Nineteen: He Knows, She Knows
"Pixie Dust! Pixie Dust!" shouted Ron still halfway down the hall as he approached the portrait of the fat lady. Seeing him coming and hearing him shouting the Gryffindor password for all to hear, she opened up and allowed Ron to enter the common room without stopping or slowing the pace of his stride. Kali and Hermione were already in the common room, seated by the fire, and both looked up as Ron made his noisy entrance. "Mione," he wheezed, trying to catch his breath as he collapsed on Kali, thought better of it, and moved, "you may want to think about changing the password. I may have said it a bit too loud."
"A bit?" asked Hermione, rolling her eyes. She and Kali had obviously been able to hear him shouting before he entered.
"Yes, Ron. Whatever would make you say that?" added Kali, grinning.
"I'm sorry," he whined. "I just wanted to get out of the dungeons and back to the common room as fast as possible. I didn't want to take the time to talk to the fat lady about how wonderful Kali is and her mum was. In fact, I think I need a very large dose of some headache potion, any headache potion."
Giving a secret grin to Kali, Hermione feigned naivety. "Why ever would you say that, Ron? Kali told me that your meeting with her father went very well. Better than she expected, in fact. There really isn't a reason for you to be so distressed."
"And did Kali tell you who her father is?"
"I've known for a few days," answered Hermione, waving her hand as if it were of no importance.
"You knew?"
"Yes. Blaise told me."
"Blaise knew?"
"Yes. He found out from Draco."
"Malfoy knew?"
"It sounds much worse than it really was, Ron," interrupted Kali giving Hermione a look that told her to stop messing with Ron. "Draco and I are cousins."
"You have Snape and Malfoy blood?" asked Ron. All the color that seemed to have come back into his face once he got far away from her father was beginning to drain again. "Malfoy isn't protective over his family or anything, is he? I don't think I can take two people breathing down my necks."
"No, it's nothing like that. It's just that Daddy and Lucius are cousins and so he's my cousin. He's always heard of me from his parents and he only really put two and two together a few weeks after school began. Blaise got my mum's graduation yearbook from Draco, which he had because of his father, and in it are pictures of my mum and dad together. Naturally, Blaise figured it out -"
"And found me when looking for Kali," finished Hermione. "He wanted some confirmation but he was going so crazy about it that he showed it to me right away. I would have told you but Kali wanted to tell you herself so we were sworn to secrecy."
"Now all I have to do is tell Harry."
"Oh, no need to worry about that. Harry knows."
"Harry knows?" asked Kali and Ron simultaneously.
"Sirius told him."
Kali clicked her tongue, shaking her head. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Ron sinking into the cushions on the opposite side of the couch. Cocking her head, she signaled Hermione's attention to Ron and a sympathetic smile broke out on her face.
"Hey, Ron. . ."
"Hm?" Straightening up a bit, or rather slouching a bit less, Ron turned his attention away from his endless gazing into the fire and onto the two girls. "You said my name, right?"
"Yes," said Hermione, carefully.
"What did my daddy say to you? You're acting awfully odd."
"Nothing. Nothing it all." His words were rushed and he moved over a little farther until his hipbone was painfully mashed against the arm of the couch.
Rolling her eyes, Kali said a soft goodbye to Hermione and grabbed Ron's wrist, wrenching him up and dragging him away. After saying the password to the Head Boy's room, the portrait swung open and Kali dragged him through. Once they were out of view and earshot, Kali dropped down on his bed and stared at him still standing at the entrance.
"Relax, Ron. Whatever Daddy said to you was merely meant for intimidation."
"It worked."
"Ron. Come on. Relax. Daddy won't do anything to you. He never did anything to any of my other boyfriends."
"I'm not just any of your other boyfriends. Your daddy didn't like me before he knew I was dating you. He didn't like me before I even met you."
"Come on, Ron. Don't freak out. I like you. A lot. I don't want to lose you just because my dad is overprotective."
Ron wiped his face and walked over to sit next to Kali. "I'm not freaking out and you aren't going to lose me. I already told you, I just need to adjust. A little more than I thought considering he's turned out to be so . . . er - did you say overprotective? That's going a little light, don't you think?"
"Perhaps. What did he say to you?"
"Only that he was going to hex me if I made you cry and that if I hurt you, I could kiss my life goodbye. I'll tell you what, Kali, out of all the things I thought would happen to me in my life, getting a talk like that from Snape was not one I was expecting. It was right down there with falling in love with a hinkypunk."
Kali snorted a laugh and took Ron's hand, lacing her fingers with his. "Well there's still time for the hinkypunk. Don't lose hope."
"Funny, Kali. Very funny."
"I can't believe he threatened you with magic. Well, actually, I can believe he threatened you with magic but he should know better!" A long sigh ensued. "Sorry I didn't tell you before but I couldn't think of a way to bring it up in conversation. You know, I suppose I could have stuck it in there around the time you were all telling me how awful he is . . . right after Harry called him a big, looming bat and you chimed in about what a greasy git he is. 'Yes, and he's my daddy, too!'"
A sheepish smile crossed Ron's face as he looked up at her. "Sorry, Kali. Guess we didn't exactly give you the impression of being very accepting, eh?"
"Not exactly."
"I refuse to take any of my previous comments back but I am willing to add a few."
"Shoot."
"One, Snape is scary. Scarier than I thought he was, anyway. Not just in a way where I'm expecting detention but in a way where I fear for my life. Two, Snape is a liar. He would not hex me if I hurt you."
"You think so?"
"No. He would force-feed me poison in the middle of class. Wait until we made some sort of really awful potion and when I screwed it up, he would suggest 'testing' it on me."
Kali laughed. "You're right. He probably would, but only if you hurt me. Otherwise, I will make sure that Daddy is a docile as you can get him. I wouldn't expect him to be nice but, you know, he tries for me."
"It's so strange hearing you call Snape 'Daddy.'"
Shrugging, Kali said, "I don't know. He's always just been my daddy."
"Of course."
"Do try and forget whatever Daddy said to you. He does this with all of my boyfriends and to this day, none of them have had a single injury inflicted by him. Bryce Light, however, does still walk with a limp but that was me, not Daddy."
"Limp?"
"He tried to shag me. I didn't want to be shagged. It was self defense."
"Stop right there, Kali. I really don't want to know."
"No. You don't." She smirked, cocking her eyebrow.
"Don't do that! You look just like him when you do that! I can see the relation and it's scary."
"Sorry. So . . . I'm getting tired."
"Me too."
Shifting on the bed, Kali looked to the portrait and saw the lady sleeping on the grass, parasol lying forgotten on the ground. She racked her mind, looking for a tactful way to put what she wanted to say but she was never very clever with words; her father had been the one who was always good in oration. Even her mother had been skilled in speech, according to the stories she had heard. Where she got her tied tongue, Kali had no idea.
"So - er - you wouldn't mind if I slept in here tonight, would you?"
Ron stiffening beside her and almost leaping off the bed at the suggestion told her that it would.
"No . . . I guess not."
"You're lying."
"Well . . . what would your father say if he found out?"
Laughing, Kali couldn't help but roll her eyes at him once more. "Don't tell me you'd send me away because of what my father would say. Honestly, Ron, it isn't like we haven't spent the night in the same room, this room, actually, before. I sleep in here all the time. You never had a problem before."
"But you weren't Snape's daughter before."
"Do you realize how ridiculous that statement is? Of course I was his daughter before! You just didn't know. Come now, Ron. It isn't like we're going to do anything. We're just going to sleep. I told you what I do to boys that try to shag me when I don't want them to."
"Actually, you didn't, and for that I am thankful." Kali sighed, cocking her head and giving him an annoyed sort of look. "Fine. I mean, I just don't want to get castrated tomorrow or something because Snape goes crazy over you sleeping in my room."
"Bed. I'm not sleeping on your floor just because you're scared of my daddy."
"Bed?"
"Grow up, Ron. I'll stay on my side and I promise not to hog the covers."
"Okay," he squeaked and watched as she began rooting through his clothes for something to wear to bed. He almost laughed when she reappeared from his bathroom five minutes later in a rather long t-shirt and one of his hideous, in his opinion, jumpers his mother made for him. "My mum makes me one of those jumpers every year and it's always maroon. I hate maroon," he commented as she climbed under the covers.
"Really? I like maroon. It's one of my favorite colors."
"How?"
"What?"
"How can you like maroon?"
"It's a nice color."
"Okay."
"I don't like the sound of that 'okay.'"
"All I said was 'okay."
"But it was a curious 'okay.' Like you thought I was crazy."
"I do think you're crazy."
"Ron," she whined, turning over in bed and wrapping an arm around his waist. It turned out to be the last thing uttered before they both fell silent and, eventually, asleep.
~*~
"Harry?"
Harry jerked his head up from the starchy pillow at hearing his name. After heading back to the hospital wing, Draco had climbed into his bed and not wanting to rouse questions just yet, Harry had climbed onto one of the beds next to him. He was dozing as soon as he had been fully laid out but Draco's voice had cut through the sweet land of nothingness that Harry had been falling into. He grunted before turning over onto his side to face Draco, the latter sitting up in bed and looking curiously over at Harry.
"Yes?"
"I was just wondering if you were still awake."
"Barely. Was there something you wanted?"
Biting his lower lip, Draco looked Harry over and shrugged. "I don't know."
"Yes, you do. Do you give Padma this shit when she's counseling you?"
"Sometimes. She handles it a lot better and for a lot longer than you do. May I suggest a lesson in tolerance?"
"You can, but I probably won't listen. What did you really want to talk to me about?"
"Us."
"Us? We've been together for -" Harry looked at his watch "a little over three hours. You already want to talk about us?"
Draco nodded. "Yes."
Harry's head hit the wall rather hard when he gave up on his propped up elbows and allowed his entire body to drop. "Ouch."
"Smooth."
"Sod off, Draco."
"Is that any way to talk to your boyfriend?"
"Guess not. Sorry. S'just I'm really tired and smacking my head didn't make it any better."
"I was just kidding anyway."
"So you wanted to talk about us?"
"Yes."
"So talk."
"Oh - er - okay. Well, I was wondering what you wanted to do about us."
"What I wanted to do about us? I don't want to do anything. I want you, you want me, and we're together. What else do we have to do?"
"I meant about telling people," said Draco, sounding rather impatient and Harry smiled at the tone.
"Oh. Sorry. What about it?"
"Honestly, Harry, you really are slow, aren't you? Did you get brain damage when you got your scar?"
"Since I've been this way for as long as I can remember and I've had the scar for longer, the world may never know."
"One of life's great mysteries."
"Exactly."
"Honestly, Harry," said Draco, trying to regain any seriousness their conversation may have previously held, "what do you want to do about us? I know you're bisexual. Half, if not all, of the school knows your bisexual. You don't exactly keep it a secret."
"Right." Harry really wished he would get on with it. Draco was confusing him and when he was so tired, the last thing he needed was for Draco to be ambiguous or cryptic. It was not helping his headache from his head hitting the wall in any way. "So. . ."
"No one knows about me," he finished.
"Oh. Right. Forgot about that. Too tired to think."
"What's your excuse the rest of the time?"
"I'm too busy thinking about you."
"You liar. You didn't even like me until a few weeks ago."
"Yes, this is true, but I was so busy thinking about all the awful things you've done to me on the other occasions. Or that bouncing ferret incident."
"Harry, are you forgetting that I was instituted in here on a Suicide Warning because I tried to kill myself? There's no need to reopen old wounds."
"Sorry, but you should have seen it. Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret."
"Yes, Potter, I'm sure if I had seen it rather than experienced it, I would enjoy the scenario so much more. There's nothing quite like seeing oneself being transfigured into a rodent and forced to go flying through the air. As humorous as it may have looked to you, it was a rather painful experience, both physically and mentally. But I digress . . . if we can please return to the topic of conversation?"
"Which is?" Draco gave a rather loud sigh. "I'm sorry, Draco. I'm just so tired."
"If we're telling people because everyone knows about you but no one knows about me."
"Oh, right. Well . . . maybe we can just tell our friends first and then become public. A little at a time. Blaise already knows about you so there's no problem there. Ron has to know because I can't keep this from him. Hermione, too."
"Kailah and Padma," added Draco.
"Padma, eh?"
"She's my counselor and all but she's becoming a really great friend, too. Besides, my counselor probably should know and she can't tell anyone because of the confidentiality charm."
"Okay," said Harry, yawning. "Whenever you're ready. I suppose you'll want a few days to get your affairs in order."
"Yes. I want to wait until I'm off Suicide Warning and everything. After that, I guess it's to Dumbledore about the resorting."
"You really going to go through with that?"
"I have to. Will you go with me to Dumbledore, though? I somehow fear I would not fare all too well going on my own. I'm going to need some emotional support."
"Of course, as long as you'll let me go to sleep. Otherwise, I'm going to die from sleep deprivation and you won't only be left without emotional support for going to Dumbledore, but you'd have to find a new boyfriend who's just as good as me. I'm willing to bet that's a difficult find."
"Yes, it's very hard to find someone that low on the scale." Harry tried to scowl but his tired face just wouldn't allow it and it came out looking more like a disgruntled pig. "Honestly, Harry, do try not to joke about death and losing people. You almost lost me before you even had me."
"Sorry. I just . . . gods, Draco, it should be obvious I don't think before I speak."
"It is obvious and that is why I'm excusing you. Do me a favor, Harry, and do yourself a favor in the process. Go to sleep. Sorry I interrupted you but I couldn't sleep until we had that resolved."
"No problem," he murmured, face already buried in the pillow.
"Hey, Harry?"
"Mmm?"
"Can you stay in the morning? I'd much rather be with you when I wake up than Blaise or Padma or whoever Dumbledore plans on sending in when you leave for class."
"Sure. I'll switch with whoever is supposed to come in the morning and go to afternoon classes."
"Thanks."
"No problem. Night, Draco."
"Night."
Draco leaned back and watched Harry as he shifted one final time. A few minutes later, his steady breathing and the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest indicated to Draco that he had fallen asleep. Softly smiling, Draco shimmied under the covers and pulled them up to his chin as he stared at the ceiling. Harry shouldn't even really be sleeping as someone was always supposed to be up and watching him on this stupid Warning but it was Padma's night, not Harry's, and Draco could excuse him. No one really had to worry, anyway. For the first time in months, he truly felt happy and he didn't plan on running away from this marvelous, forgotten sensation any time in the near future.
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