(A/N – So this chapter is Seamus' POV, and it does talk about his boyfriend, but the reader doesn't know who it is. There are hints but… You have to try and figure it out. So send your guesses in your reviews!)

Chapter 13 – Hiding – Seamus' POV

"Oh. My. God. I can not believe you missed that!" is exclaimed, after getting my books from my room, scanning the Gryffindor common room and making sure that I was alone with my boyfriend.

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "What did I miss?"

"Ron and Zabini. They are so cute together!"

"Cute… doing what together?" he asked questioningly.

I shrugged. "Smoochy stuff."

He raised his eyebrows at me. "Smoochy stuff? You are such a fag…"

"Hehe. I know," I replied.

He shook his head, laughing.

"We should go to class," I said, a tiny trace of sadness in my voice. "Stupid potions."

"Yeah…" he groaned. "I have to go get my stuff," he said, standing up. "I'll see you in a bit."

o

I slipped into my seat in potions next to Dean, just as the bell signaled the beginning of class, and Snape walked through the door from his office in a whirl of robes.

Ron and Blaise were sitting right in front of us. As soon as Snape entered, they both stood and went to the front of the room. Ron handed Snape a note.

He scanned it quickly, eyebrows raising in slight surprise.

"Ah…" he said, scanning the room and setting his eyes on Hermione. "It seems Miss Granger has made the first mistake of her life," he said smirking.

I turned towards Hermione, who was blushing slightly.

"It seems," said Snape, the smirk never leaving his face, "That Granger has performed a binding spell on Zabini and Weasley here, preventing them from moving outside of a five foot radius of each other."

My jaw dropped. "That is so not fair! Stuck within five feet of your boyfriend?" I cried, a bit too loudly.

Dean pinched my side. "Shhh! Snape's gonna freak!" he whispered.

Snape eyed me evilly before turning back to Hermione. "How could you do this by accident, Miss Granger?"

Hermione stuttered for the first time at a question asked by a teacher.

"Never mind. Moving on with the lesson."

Ron and Zabini returned to their seats as Snape began the lesson. Suddenly, he stopped short.

"Hmm…no partner again, Longbottom?" He scanned the room. "Miss Parkinson, kindly be Longbottom's partner for today. And Longbottom, try not to poison her."

Pansy carried her stuff to the seat behind ours, scowling.

After Snape finished his lecture, he put the ingredients and instructions on the board with a wave of his wand and disappeared into his office.

"You lucky bastards," I said quietly, so the Snape would not hear me through the open door. "Hey, Hermione! Could you do the same to me? Please?"

Hermione laughed quietly. "It might be easier if you would tell us who it is!" she whispered.

At that exact moment, Neville went into a strange coughing fit behind me. I turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "You ok?" I asked.

His bright red face bobbed as he nodded.

"Longbottom," Snape drawled as he walked back into the room. "Try not to die until after your potion is complete, if it's not too much hassle."

Neville blushed even darker and went back to shredding his tarantula legs.

"Draco!" Snape snapped sharply and suddenly. Malfoy pulled back from emptying the entire contents of his case of powdered beetle shell into his cauldron just in time.

Malfoy shook his head sharply, as if shaking himself out of a daze. "Thanks, Sev," He said to the professor.

"Um…" Dean said quietly.

"Did I hear that right?" I asked.

Zabini looked up from his finely chopped rat's spleen. "They're cousins…didn't you know?"

"Nope," said Dean.

"No wonder Snape favors him," said Ron.

We all went back to our potion assignments.

I looked up from checking the fire under my cauldron to find Zabini kissing Ron's ear lightly.

"Couple of fags, those two," I heard Parkinson say from behind me.

I was just about to turn around and give her a piece of my mind when Neville jumped in before me.

"Don't say things like that! That's terribly rude…How would you like it if someone said something like that about you?" In his furry, he knocked an empty box into his cauldron, resulting in a loud bang.

After the cloud of smoke subsided, I was given a clear view of Neville. His eyebrows were completely singed off. Parkinson was lying on her back on the floor.

"Neville! Are you ok?" I hurried over to the sink to get a napkin and a cup of water, handing it to him to clear the dust and leftover potion from his face.

Fortunately the potion did not react with his skin, as it had to be taken through the ears to be affective.

Parkinson climbed off the floor and, grumbling loudly, took her books back over to where Bulstrode was sitting.

Dean bottled our potion, as did the rest of the class, as I helped Neville clean up.

The bell signaled the end of class and the beginning of break.

"Longbottom, stay behind and clear up this mess. The rest of you are dismissed," Snape drawled lazily.

The class rose and exited the room, my friends and I reluctant to leave Neville behind, alone with Snape.

We made our way out into the cold air for break. It was dark and the clouds looked stormy.

"Merlin…It's freezing," said Ron. He walked right up to Zabini and slid into his arms, burying his face in his neck.

I raised my eyebrows at Dean. He looked away.

A couple minutes later, tiny little snowflakes began to fall.

"Oh my god, you guys!" exclaimed Neville. "It's December already! I just realized that."

"Yeah. Christmas shopping in Hogsmeade next weekend," added Harry.

At this time the bell for end of break rang.

"What class do you guys have next?" Zabini asked.

"Divination," Ron sighed in reply.

o

Friday night of that week I was sitting in the corner of the common room with my boyfriend.

"I don't know," he whispered. "I want to come out but… well…"

"You can do it," I said encouragingly. "Just think about it. We won't have to hide anymore. We won't have to sneak off and we won't have to try to act normal in public. It would make everything easier."

He leaned back in his armchair with his eyes closed and took a deep breath. "Ok."

"…Ok? Yes?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes."

"Yes! Oh my God I love you!" I said happily, as quietly as I could. I had difficulty not pouncing on him. "When?"

"Um… Now?"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Ok. Let's go."

I stood and walked towards the circle of chairs and sofas, where Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Zabini were sitting. I flopped onto a sofa next to Ginny, my boyfriend following me hesitantly.

"Guess what, guys," I got the attention of the group. "We have something to tell you."