Most of the DA had left Room of Requirement now. They didn't look particularly happy, but most of them seemed to believe now that Harry trusted Draco. That didn't mean that they trusted him, but they had accepted it. Harry couldn't ask for much more. Now it was just him, Draco, Hermione and Ron.

Hermione was watching them speculatively. 'You shouldn't have been able to do that.'

'What?' Harry asked innocently.

'It wasn't Polyjuice. That wouldn't give enough control. Technically it's possible to transfigure yourself to look like someone else, but it takes a tremendous amount of power.'

'We used a binding potion,' Harry answered.

'Even so...Plus, it takes a lot of control. You could do it maybe, but...'

'I couldn't,' Draco finished. He was still pale from the effort of holding the transformation so long.

'That wasn't what I...'

'You may be right. Harry did both anyway. Human transfiguration is not really my speciality.'

'That would be hexes,' Ron observed coolly.

Draco narrowed his eyes. 'Yes, it is.'

Hermione was ignoring them. 'You performed a transfiguration on Draco? That's not possible.

'It was more through Draco,' Harry replied thoughtfully.

'That's not possible either!' she cried, with a slight edge of hysteria.

'Snape's working on it,' Harry reassured her.

Hermione took a deep breath and composed herself. 'Also, that wasn't Veritaserum,' she pointed out calmly.

'What do you mean?' Draco asked.

'Veritaserum puts you in a trance,' she clarified. 'I haven't seen it, obviously, but you aren't supposed to be able to ask questions when you've drank it.'

'She's right,' Harry answered, before Draco could spin a story. 'I have seen it. That wasn't it.'

'Snape sealed it though,' Ron said.

'Yeah. It was a truth potion. Or at least, you can't lie when you're using it. But you have a little more control of what you're saying. We didn't want to risk saying something that's still a secret.' Harry replied.

Hermione smiled. 'Or spoiling your dramatics.'

'That too.' Draco smirked at her.

Hermione's eyes sparkled with indulgent amusement.

Ron looked between the two of them, a slight flush on his cheeks.

It was a three days since the last DA meeting, and they still hadn't agreed when the next one should be. Ron and Harry were engaged in furious debate about how to manage the house divide in the meetings, and Hermione and Draco were sitting slightly apart.

'We can't just leave it up to them!' Harry shouted. 'Letting things sort themselves out doesn't work – we've seen that.'

'We can't force it either.' Ron shot back. 'If we try...' he trailed off.

Draco had put a hand on Hermione's shoulder. They were talking quietly, intensely, to each other. 'You could talk to him about it,' Draco murmured.

'Would you two either participate or sod off?' Ron yelled.

Hermione wheeled round, shocked. 'I don't see what you expect us to do, Ron. Between you and Harry you are covering both sides. And whenever Draco or I venture an opinion, you shoot it down.'

'You could at least pretend to be listening,' Ron responded. 'Instead of...'

'Instead of what?'

'Instead of...Oh just forget it! You and Malfoy should just go finish your little chat somewhere more private.'

'And what is that supposed to mean?'

'Work it out!' Ron stormed out of the room, face flushed in anger or distress.

'Did he mean what I think he meant?' Draco asked in bewilderment.

Hermione looked furious. 'You mean did he just insinuate that I had a crush on you? Yes, I think that was it. The nerve of him!'

'Er...I think I should be insulted by that,' Draco protested mildly.

'It's not...oh, I can't believe that boy! Harry, do you mind if I go?'

'It's fine. Go to the library and calm down.'

'Thank you.' She left, still shaking her head.

'Well,' Draco began, 'that wasn't at all unexpected.

'If I didn't know you better, I'd think you planned that.' Harry said.

'Not at all,' Draco answered. 'But he's been looking for a reason to yell about me for a while now.'

'You know it has nothing to do with you exactly.'

'Of course. Weasley's distaste for Hermione's suitors isn't exactly unnoticed in the school. Even in Slytherin.'

Harry boggled for a moment. 'I thought it was just us.'

'Harry, Harry, Harry,' Draco sighed despairingly. 'One day you will understand that one of the defining traits of a Slytherin is having the ability to perceive what it right in front of you. A skill Gryffindors notably lack. I am almost tempted to point out to the two of them that if one of them would only make the first move...but then what would I watch for fun?'

'So you're not interested in Hermione, then?'

'Harry, what's this sudden fascination about? And no. Again, not my type.

'Again,' Harry answered mockingly, 'just curious. It would make things more difficult in the DA.'

'And we can't have that, can we?' Draco muttered. 'Go on then. Go and find Weasley. Talk him down from the ledge he is undoubtedly thinking about throwing himself off. You're all so dramatic.'

'That's what happens when other people are more than just something funny to watch,' Harry responded angrily. He leapt up, and strode towards the door.

'Harry...'

Draco's voice made Harry stop. He turned. 'Sorry. It's just...never mind. I need to find Ron.'

Ron, as it turned out, was not about to throw himself off a ledge. He was, however, furiously engaged in doing his Transfiguration homework, which in Ron's case was practically the same thing.

'Is everything okay?' Harry asked.

'It's fine,' Ron answered, sighing.

'Then what was that all about?'

'All what?'

'You and Hermione.'

Ron's rebuttal was too fast. 'Nothing!'

'It didn't look like nothing.'

'It's...if I tell you, you might freak.'

'I won't.'

'You don't know that.'

Harry sat down beside Ron on the sofa. 'What if I tell you something?'

'Like what?'

'A secret. Something no one else knows. Then we'll be even.'

'A proper secret? Even from Hermione?'

'Yeah,' Harry answered. It was possible she suspected something was up, but probably not this...

Ron considered this for a moment. 'Okay. But you first.'

Harry sighed, 'How did I know you'd say that?'

'Because you know I'm not stupid?'

Harry laughed, then looked at Ron seriously, 'Okay, I need you not to overreact when I tell you this. No yelling, laughing or violence.'

'Have you hurt my sister, or turned to you-know-who?'

Harry bit back the comment about calling things by their names. 'No.'

'Then go on.'

'Okay.' He paused. 'This is harder than I thought it would be. Okay. Umm…Cho wasn't…wasn't my first crush.'

Ron regarded Harry in curiosity. 'Who then? Ginny? Parvati?' A sudden dread crept over his features. 'Hermione?'

Harry couldn't help the small laugh. 'Dunno if it's better or worse than that, but no.'

'Who then?'

'Oliver.'

There was silence. Then:

'Oliver, Oliver? Oliver that you played Quidditch with? That Oliver?'

'Yeah.'

'So you're…'

'Umm…bi is the term I guess. Unless you were looking for something more insulting.'

Ron, who had been studying his hands intently, looked up in shock. 'Harry, mate, no! Bloody hell. I was…surprised that's all. I was expecting…dunno what I was expecting. Mum maybe.'

It was Harry's turn for shock. 'No! I mean, I love your mum. But she's like…well…a mother to me.'

'That's okay then,' Ron answered in relief. 'So, Oliver? Should I be insulted that it wasn't me?'

'Ron…' Harry sputtered, and then looked up to see his best friend struggling to hold in his laughter. 'Prat,' he muttered affectionately, swatting at Ron with a cushion. 'Your turn anyway.'

'For what?' Ron asked innocently.

'Don't play dumb. Secret. Yours. Now.'

'Umm…'Ron blushed deep red. 'It's about Hermione. I kind of….you know…like her. Like, like her.'

'You should tell her,' Harry responded immediately.

'I will. Just not...not right now. Especially not right now. She's gonna be mad at me for a while.'

'Shouldn't have accused her of running off with Draco.'

'I didn't mean to! It's just sort of…happened.' Ron looked at Harry, considering. 'Why aren't you surprised by any of this?'

'I already knew,' he answered simply.

'What?' Ron exclaimed. 'So why go to all the trouble…why all the…?'

Harry smiled softly, 'You looked like you needed to tell someone.'

When Hermione came into the common room and saw Harry and Ron laughing, she contemplated being angry. But Harry was smiling, still rare enough to be worth notice, and Ron looked across at her apologetically, so she walked over to them. They were her boys, and she couldn't look after them when they were fighting.

'Sorry about before,' were the first words out of Ron's mouth. Harry walked off discretely to give them some space.

'You should be,' she replied. 'But you're forgiven. We were just talking, you know that.'

'What about…? Sorry. It's your business.' Ron stammered.

'It is. Draco's a friend. Just a friend. If you must know, we were talking about the Head Girl thing…you know I can't talk about it to you or Harry. But Draco understands, and he won't be hurt by it. That's why we were talking quietly.'

'Okay.' Ron nodded. 'Well I am sorry. He's not that bad I guess.'

'No, he's not. And he's Harry's friend.'

'I know that!' Ron replied indignantly. He suddenly went quiet, looking over at Harry. 'Give me a second.'

Ron walked over to Harry, and dragged him into a corner.

'Ron!' Harry protested. 'What is it?'

'It's Draco, isn't it?'

'What about him?'

'You like him.'

'Of course I like him.'

'Not what I meant.' Ron answered harshly. 'Like you liked Oliver, that's why you told me.'

'That's not it!' Harry's denials were unconvincing.

'Is he even…?'

'What?'

'Gay, bi, whatever.'

'Not sure,' Harry's answer was quiet, and aimed at his shoes.

Ron took a deep breath. 'Okay. So I should probably stop talking about him liking Hermione then.'

'He doesn't. I checked.'

'Why not?'

'Ron!' Harry cried in disbelief.

'I'm not complaining!' Ron replied. 'But it's strange.'

'I don't like her. Well, I do, but not like that.'

'Yeah, but you like Malfoy…You know who we need to talk to?'

'Not Hermione.'

'Why not? She's good at this.'

'You promised.'

'Yeah. So I won't tell her. But you should.'

'I will, just not right now,' Harry replied with Ron's words from earlier.

'Good. Because if you don't tell her soon, she's going to find out. And then she'll kill me for knowing first.'

'You do realize that the girl you want to go out with scares you?'

'Yep.'

'Just checking.'

A/N: Thanks to Enki, Moose on mars and wwwendy for reviews. So, what did you all think of this one?