Sorry this was longer to be updated. I'm very sleepy so I hope I didn't mess anything up!
~*~
19. Friends and Enemies
-Ron-
Harry looked really shocked, just like Ron had been afraid he'd be. His mouth was hanging open and he kept blinking. Hermione looked shocked as well. "I guess I'm kind of surprised," she said. She squeezed Ron's arm. "But I'm glad that you told us."
Ron was relieved to hear that. Hermione was taking it really well. Harry was still gaping like a fish though.
"I just realised it this year," Ron said. Now that he'd got the big secret out, it was easier to talk about it some more.
Harry finally closed his mouth. "So you don't have a girlfriend," he said.
"No," Ron said in a patient way. "I'm gay. So I don't have a girlfriend."
"Then do you have a boyfriend?" Hermione wanted to know.
Ron swallowed, then said "No." He figured that even hinting that would be too much. But he really wanted to tell them about him and Draco. That would shock them even more, but once they got used to the idea, they'd be happy for him. Ron couldn't reveal that without the Slytherin's OK.
"Hmm," said Hermione. She sounded like she was thinking.
Harry was still looking uncomfortable. Now he was turning pink. "Ron," he said, "you don't...you know..." He stuttered a little and didn't finish his sentence.
Ron tried to figure out what Harry was going on about. Harry wasn't even looking at Ron. Then Ron got it. "No, I'm not attracted to you," he told Harry.
Harry got a funny look on his face. "Oh, OK. Good."
Ron thought that maybe Harry was mostly relieved but maybe slightly hurt.
"So, you don't have a boyfriend," Hermione said. Ron wondered about the look on her face. Either it was a snoopy look or a scheming look. Either could be bad for him.
"I'm not sure I want a boyfriend right now," Ron said. "I wouldn't have the time for one. Or the money." He smiled a little to himself at that. "And it might interfere with my Quidditch."
When Ron mentioned Quidditch, Harry changed the subject and started to go on about their strategies for that year.
Ron was glad that conversation was over. He thought it had gone quite well.
-Draco-
Draco was sitting in the Slytherin common room. He was trying to do his History homework, but he kept thinking about Ron instead. He wouldn't get to see Ron at all that day -- they weren't meeting until Monday night. He wondered how Ron's talk with Harry and Hermione was going.
Blaise Zabini sat down next to Draco. "Hi, Malfoy," he said.
"Hi, Zabini." Draco wondered why Blaise was there. They had never been friends in all their years at Hogwarts.
"I've heard a few things about you," Zabini said. Draco immediately felt paralysed by anxiety. He had too many secrets -- he didn't know which one Zabini might be mentioning.
"What have you heard?" Draco tried really hard to keep his voice casual, like usual, but he thought that he maybe sounded kind of worried.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you." Zabini smirked meanly. "Unless you PAY me."
Draco felt like a big block of stone was sitting in his stomach. He was 99% sure that Zabini knew his secret of being poor. He had to get Zabini not to tell somehow. "Will you tell anyone else?"
Zabini gave Draco a look of triumph. "That depends on you, Malfoy. They can pay me to tell. Or maybe I'll tell anyway just for fun. Or you can pay me not to tell."
Now Draco was confused. How did Zabini think Draco was going to pay him, anyhow. "Sure," Draco said. "What do you want?"
Zabini tapped Draco's books that were lying all over the table. "I think that if you do my History essay and then my Charms assignment for Monday, I could be persuaded to keep the secret for the time being."
Draco nodded and Zabini left. Draco was really, really angry. His hands were even shaking. But he didn't know what else to do. How had Zabini found out? Draco had to find that out. But more importantly, he had to keep Zabini from telling.
Draco tried to calm himself down. He knew that he shouldn't think about this too much while he was angry. It was better to wait he felt better, then he could plan.
More than anything, Draco wanted to run out and find Ron right now. Instead, he got another piece of parchment and started Zabini's History essay.
~*~
19. Friends and Enemies
-Ron-
Harry looked really shocked, just like Ron had been afraid he'd be. His mouth was hanging open and he kept blinking. Hermione looked shocked as well. "I guess I'm kind of surprised," she said. She squeezed Ron's arm. "But I'm glad that you told us."
Ron was relieved to hear that. Hermione was taking it really well. Harry was still gaping like a fish though.
"I just realised it this year," Ron said. Now that he'd got the big secret out, it was easier to talk about it some more.
Harry finally closed his mouth. "So you don't have a girlfriend," he said.
"No," Ron said in a patient way. "I'm gay. So I don't have a girlfriend."
"Then do you have a boyfriend?" Hermione wanted to know.
Ron swallowed, then said "No." He figured that even hinting that would be too much. But he really wanted to tell them about him and Draco. That would shock them even more, but once they got used to the idea, they'd be happy for him. Ron couldn't reveal that without the Slytherin's OK.
"Hmm," said Hermione. She sounded like she was thinking.
Harry was still looking uncomfortable. Now he was turning pink. "Ron," he said, "you don't...you know..." He stuttered a little and didn't finish his sentence.
Ron tried to figure out what Harry was going on about. Harry wasn't even looking at Ron. Then Ron got it. "No, I'm not attracted to you," he told Harry.
Harry got a funny look on his face. "Oh, OK. Good."
Ron thought that maybe Harry was mostly relieved but maybe slightly hurt.
"So, you don't have a boyfriend," Hermione said. Ron wondered about the look on her face. Either it was a snoopy look or a scheming look. Either could be bad for him.
"I'm not sure I want a boyfriend right now," Ron said. "I wouldn't have the time for one. Or the money." He smiled a little to himself at that. "And it might interfere with my Quidditch."
When Ron mentioned Quidditch, Harry changed the subject and started to go on about their strategies for that year.
Ron was glad that conversation was over. He thought it had gone quite well.
-Draco-
Draco was sitting in the Slytherin common room. He was trying to do his History homework, but he kept thinking about Ron instead. He wouldn't get to see Ron at all that day -- they weren't meeting until Monday night. He wondered how Ron's talk with Harry and Hermione was going.
Blaise Zabini sat down next to Draco. "Hi, Malfoy," he said.
"Hi, Zabini." Draco wondered why Blaise was there. They had never been friends in all their years at Hogwarts.
"I've heard a few things about you," Zabini said. Draco immediately felt paralysed by anxiety. He had too many secrets -- he didn't know which one Zabini might be mentioning.
"What have you heard?" Draco tried really hard to keep his voice casual, like usual, but he thought that he maybe sounded kind of worried.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you." Zabini smirked meanly. "Unless you PAY me."
Draco felt like a big block of stone was sitting in his stomach. He was 99% sure that Zabini knew his secret of being poor. He had to get Zabini not to tell somehow. "Will you tell anyone else?"
Zabini gave Draco a look of triumph. "That depends on you, Malfoy. They can pay me to tell. Or maybe I'll tell anyway just for fun. Or you can pay me not to tell."
Now Draco was confused. How did Zabini think Draco was going to pay him, anyhow. "Sure," Draco said. "What do you want?"
Zabini tapped Draco's books that were lying all over the table. "I think that if you do my History essay and then my Charms assignment for Monday, I could be persuaded to keep the secret for the time being."
Draco nodded and Zabini left. Draco was really, really angry. His hands were even shaking. But he didn't know what else to do. How had Zabini found out? Draco had to find that out. But more importantly, he had to keep Zabini from telling.
Draco tried to calm himself down. He knew that he shouldn't think about this too much while he was angry. It was better to wait he felt better, then he could plan.
More than anything, Draco wanted to run out and find Ron right now. Instead, he got another piece of parchment and started Zabini's History essay.