Chapter II: Juxtapose

Harry landed on the firm ground of the Quidditch field. He was sore and stung all over from the great gusts of wind and hours of lonesome practice. He didn't know whether or not to go inside for breakfast or skip it all together. Lately, what with Ron and Hermione becoming secretive and exclusive, he did not feel the same loyal compatibility he used to with his two best friends. He could imagine what was going on between the two and accepted it, but it was hurtful all the same, and he wished to distance himself from it. In fact, he had decided to try and find himself some new friends. Last night he had walked Neville to his detention and waited for him in the library, after previously spending the evening with Seamus and Dean.

He went and locked his broom away with the others and sat in the Quidditch locker room, pondering over what to do, yet aware of his limited time as he had double Potions in another forty minutes. Just as his thoughts were becoming less constructive and he doubted he would be going anywhere before Snape's class began, he heard the door opening and saw Fred Weasley walking towards the broom closet, his head hung in brooding contemplation.

"Fred!" Harry leapt up, glad for an excuse to find some sort of activity.

Fred turned and looked at him and Harry watched as the expression drained from his face, "Oh," he said skeptically, "H-hi...What are you doing out here?"

"Practicing, remember? I asked you if you wanted to come with me..." The two stared at eachother for awhile and then looked away, each of them trying to find something to talk about. Harry cleared his throat, "So... Have you and George spent any of that gold yet?"

Fred smiled, the stiff look easing away, "Yeah. George and I got Ron some new dress robes like you said. We haven't found any premises for the shop, but we've got a mailing service with order forms and everything. We've been experimenting a lot with things...Candy and the lot, you know."

"Yeah."

The conversation died away and Fred broke from Harry's interested gaze to stare at his own feet.

"Listen, do you want to come out and practice with me?"

Harry shook his head, "No, I was just heading to breakfast."

"Some other time then." Fred picked up his room and strode away quickly, sensing Harry might say something else to him.

But Harry was picking up the strained friendliness from Fred and couldn't understand it at all. Was it because of the galleons he had given the twins after the Triwizard Tournament? Did Fred think Harry wanted something in return? Or maybe he was worried that Harry wanted the money back...

Whatever it was, Harry decided, it was trivial and he wanted it dealt with. He couldn't afford another constrained friendship. He ran out the door and to the Quidditch field, "Fred!" he called. The twin was mounting his broomstick and stopped as he heard Harry's voice. Harry sprinted towards him, afraid he might pretend not to have heard him and fly off. Harry himself had left his broomstick inside.

"What?" Fred dropped the broom looking hostile.

Harry hesitated and caught his breath before saying, "We need to talk."

Fred's eyes darted away from his, "What about?"

"You. You've been acting so strange lately. If it's anything to do with the gold I want you to know that it's all yours. Honest."

"It's not about the gold, Harry."

Harry stared at Fred in confusion. Had he done something to offend him?

Fred beckoned Harry to come sit with him. They did so and Harry noted how Fred made sure to be a reasonable distance from him, "Have you ever had a girlfriend, Harry?" he asked casually.

Harry shook his head, any memory of Cho had been dispelled from him at the moment.

"Have you ever... had a... another sort of one?"

"Like what?" he asked naively. Fred blushed as Harry continued to look at him with no idea as to what he was going to say.

"Well... I think... I'm not so much like George." he finished lamely.

"I know you're not like George."

"No, I mean, there's something that I could never tell George, because he could never understand."

"I'll understand, Fred."

Fred looked down at his feet, "I've got this friend-"

"Lee?"

"Yeah," Fred lied, "And he's been having these feelings about another guy."

Harry's eyes grew with interest, "Lee's gay?"

"And he doesn't know what to do about it." Fred stopped feeling so afraid of the subject since Harry was under the impression that it was Lee he was worried about. He found himself telling Harry everything he had wanted to, "Lately every time he sees him, it's like he can't breathe. He just wants to reach out to this guy but he's afraid to because he doesn't know what the guy will do."

"I think he should just do it." Harry said. His voice had changed from keen with interest to the understanding and knowledgable, the sort of voice Fred had hoped Harry would speak to him in.

Fred looked back at Harry, "Do what?"

"Just go up to him and say what he feels."

"But what if the other guy gets upset or tells other people what happened or-" he stopped. Harry's hand was cupped beneath his chin. His hand was warm and soft, just as he had imagined it would have been. Their eyes were cohered to the other's and a separation of them would be impossible now. Fred began shivering. He was freezing cold, but Harry was dripping with inextinguishable heat.

"You're afraid that I'm straight." Harry whispered, "You're afraid that you might love me because I'm the only one that you think can take care of you," he leaned in closer to Fred, taking in the scent of the redhead, so close he could count the freckles on his unblemished white cheeks, "I don't want you to be afraid anymore."

Harry's mouth fell upon Fred's and the two kissed guilelessly.