Hello to all! Ok, so I'm writing this out before posting the previous chapter since I have to get this all done before I go off to school, so I'm not sure if I got reviews for the last chapter, but I hope I did! P And if I did, thank you to all the reviews! You guys rock! Snaps for you! D

Okay, I can't really make any explanations or anything because, as previously mentioned, I've no idea what your comments are. Rest assured, though, I will be reading all the reviews, so they still really count! They'll make me all happy and fluffy inside and maybe even give me inspiration to write another story later on. )

So anyway, onto the story!

Chapter 20

The Trial

"In recent news, a possible teacher/student relationship has been under question in the small town of Talsburry. A recently hired English teacher of their local high school was arrested for the possible statutory rape of one of his sixteen year-old students. However, sufficient evidence has not yet been discovered.

"There will be a trial held in court on the seventh of June to determine the final verdict and possible punishment of the twenty-three year-old English teacher.

"And now, onto Kathy with the weather forecast."

Harry stared at the television lifelessly. He couldn't believe news of his relationship with Draco was already on tv. He'd even read an article on it in the newspaper this morning. In all honesty, it was not all the big of a deal. Why couldn't people see that?

He could picture the hundreds and maybe even thousands of people who either read the article on him and Draco or saw something about them on the news. To every else, they were just one more pair of law-breakers, nothing to worry about. It irked Harry to no end. No one else understood just how important this was to him.

They didn't care about Harry's well-being. All they cared about was putting one more person in jail so that they could comfort themselves with the thought that if more people were going to jail, the government must be doing something to make the world a better place.

The brunette nearly growled with frustration.

Knowing that neither of his parents were home was the only thought that comforted the frustrated young teen. His parents had actually planned to take the day off work and stay with him, but after three days of absolutely no conversation at all, they'd figured out there was really no point in staying.

Harry refused to forgive his mother for her spur of the moment actions, no matter how good her intentions supposedly were. As for his father, he couldn't really say that his father had done anything wrong except hold him back. The young brunette couldn't bring himself to be truly angry with his father because he knew that if the decision had been totally up to James, no matter how much he disliked Draco, he would not have called the police.

With mothers, things were always different. They always let the strong emotions they felt for their children get in the way of all rational thought. Sometimes it was good, and sometimes it wasn't. In this particular case, it most definitely wasn't.

James, Harry knew, would have been angry and probably yelled at Harry for doing what he thought was a 'stupid thing' and then, once all the anger had been let out, finally sat down and talked things out. The police would have been the last thing on his mind.

In any case, he didn't have to deal with his parents right now. The only thing that had almost kept Lily from going to work was the fear that Harry might run away, but after some thinking, she realized that he wouldn't. Both parents knew, just as well as Harry, himself, that the youngest of the Potters would not run away.

Honestly, where would he go? There was no where. He couldn't possibly stay with Ron – not with Ginny for a sister. She would, no doubt, be checking up in his room every once in a while to make sure he wasn't hiding anything, or, better yet, anyone.

Hermione, although very kind and, according to Ron, supportive of his relationship with Draco, was a definite no. She, who was always trying to do the right thing, would make Harry go back home immediately, talking about the worry his parents would be going through.

Aside from that, there was really no one else. Harry didn't feel comfortable enough to go to anyone else's house. Ron and Hermione were his two closest friends and there was no way he would dare to impose on anyone else. Hiding a runaway was definitely a lot of hard work, and definitely very risky.

People like Dean and Seamus, Neville, Luna, and others were most definitely kind, but they weren't close enough to trust with such a heavy burden. Other than that, there was no way Harry was stupid enough to pack up and leave on his own.

He didn't have a particularly large sum of money saved up for an unexpected leave, or anything else to help him survive on his own. Besides that, he simply didn't want to leave. He wanted to finish his high school education and go on to college; he wanted to stay with his friends; he wanted to be here when Draco got out, whether after being deemed cleared of all charges, or after a few years in jail.

Harry was suddenly pulled out of his train of thoughts as he heard the doorbell ring. Who could be ringing the doorbell for a visit at three in the afternoon? His parents hadn't told him to expect any guests.

He opened the door to be immediately enveloped in a tight embrace from Hermione, and greeted by Ron with a delicate but happy, "Hey, Harry."

"Harry, you didn't go to school on Friday or today!" Hermione exclaimed once she'd finally let go. Harry closed the door and walked back into the living room before setting himself down upon the couch to answer.

"Yeah, I know. School ends this week, anyway, so Dumbledore said I didn't have to come for the remainder of the school year, thanks to this whole mess I'm in. Only, my mum has to go in and pick up my report card."

"Yeah," Ron said, just to say something.

"You know, it's quite astonishing how the news got a hold of your relationship with Draco so quickly. Say, how did they find out about it, anyway?" Hermione asked, curiously.

"Long story," Harry said with a sigh.

"Oh, come on. Can you honestly say you have anything better to do?" Ron asked with a teasing smile.

"Alright, fine." Harry said, giving in quite easily. "I got home on Friday morning after spending the night at Draco's." Here, Harry paused for a moment to note his friends' reactions. Both faces were blank, simply waiting for more. A little more comfortable, Harry continued. "I'd been really angry after the incident at the game and I just ran to the first place I could think of, which just happened to be Draco's house.

"Anyway, I came home Friday morning and my mum and dad were all worried, I suppose. They hugged me and the whole bit when they first saw me, and then they broke out into an interrogation of where I'd been the night before. I mean, they made sure to tell me that they were okay with the idea of me being gay and even the whole dating my teacher thing as long as I put it on hold for a while, until I got older.

"So I thought they'd be, well, you know, alright with anything, and so I told them the truth. I'd stayed at Draco's house. Then, my mum went insane. She accused me of…well, anyway, she just went crazy and called the cops, saying that Draco had, well… that he'd just done some stuff and… yeah… so I guess it wasn't that long of a story."

Harry had avoided outright stating his mother's accusations of his having had sex with Draco and, more importantly, that she was right. Hermione and Ron both knew, and Harry knew they knew, but the two said nothing more of it, which Harry was eternally grateful for.

"Sorry about that, mate," Ron said, sound entirely sincere.

"Don't be. It's not like you told my mom to call the cops or anything."

"I guess."

The three friends sat quietly for a few moments, simply taking things in and mulling them over.

"You know," Harry began suddenly. "I can't help but feel that all this is my fault. I mean, if I'd just been a little more careful, none of this would have happened. The school year was almost over and-"

"Harry, no way! This is not your fault," Hermione interjected. "Draco's a smart guy. I'm sure he knew exactly what he was getting himself into the whole time. Besides, maybe the school year might have been over, but that doesn't mean your parents couldn't have found out on their own. Your mum's not one to let things get past her for very long. She would have found out sooner or later."

"No, I know Hermione. It's just that feeling, though. Even though I know it's not totally my fault doesn't mean I can't feel like it is."

Again, silence swept over the three before Hermione, unable to stand the sorrowful state Harry was in asked jokingly, "So, what's it like to make out with a God like Draco?"

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed, pouting more prominently than ever before.

Harry laughed and answered, "Don't worry, Ron. I'm sure you're just as good. Would you like me to find out?" The brunette slowly began to lean in, not really intending to do anything.

"Oh gross! No, thank you! You can stay with your little fantasies, Hermione."

And Hermione and Harry both fell into a huge fit of laughter at Ron's overly scrunched up face.

DHDHDH

"Move it," a gruff-looking jailer growled out, shoving past Draco. Jail was worse than he'd imagined. He'd spent the first night alone and to himself, and the first morning, he hadn't eaten a thing. By the second full day, however, he was starving and prepared to eat whatever pathetic excuse for food it was that they gave him.

It was hard, though.

He tried his best to stay out of the way and ignore as many people as he could. When news of the reason he was in here got out to the other inmates, things had become ten times worse. They bothered and picked on him, and some were so horribly disgusted they threatened to kill him if he ever tried something more perverted in here.

"Killing is one thing, but raping some little kid… that's just disgusting. I hope you burn in hell." One had said. What idiots, Draco thought to himself.

Others threatened him for his sexuality with disgusting insinuations that made it very hard for Draco to sleep at night. At any moment, he was expecting one of them to jump out and rape him. It was horrible.

The only thing that kept him going was that his trial date was in little more than a week and he would get to see Harry again. Who knew? Maybe he wouldn't have to stay in jail, either.

DHDHDH

On Tuesday night, James and Lily finally sat down with Harry for a talk.

"The trial is next Wednesday, Harry. We want you to testify." Lily said.

Harry thought for a moment. He didn't want to testify for obvious reasons. It could turn out horribly wrong and he could be the one who landed Draco in jail. But, then again, he did want to see Draco. What if the blonde ended up in jail anyway and Harry never got to see him again?

To go, or not to go? Harry debated the thought in his mind for a bit. If he went, he would get to see Draco again, though chances were that he could make things worse for the blonde. If he didn't go, he couldn't make things worse, but he might not see the blonde again for a long time, anyway.

Then again, Harry could probably help things go in Draco's favor by explaining how everything they did together was entirely of his own free will. He could tell them the truth about how much he loved Draco and how he wanted everything just as much as Draco. The brunette could explain that Draco never forced himself on Harry in any way whatsoever.

That could definitely work.

"Fine." Harry said stiffly, still angry with Lily. He wasn't feeling particularly angry at this point, but he didn't want to let his mother think he had forgiven her. She didn't deserve that little bit of pleasure, in his opinion. This was, after all, entirely her fault.

Lily looked slightly put out by his tone of voice and said softly, "Honey, I know you're angry with me, but I only did what was right. I would have accepted a relationship with him, but he had sex with you, and that was wrong. He should have known better. If he'd truly loved you, he would have waited."

"Mum, I'm the one who wanted it! I pushed for it!"

"That's just what he wants you to think, sweetie. He's played with your mind to make you-"

"No, he hasn't!" Harry exclaimed.

"Oh, Harry," Lily said, placing her hand gently upon Harry's shoulder, but the brunette quickly shoved it off, making Lily wince, terribly hurt. She held back a sob before quickly getting up and walking away.

James, who had said nothing throughout the small conversation, remained sitting by Harry's side. "Harry, you've got to forgive your mother sooner or later. She only did this for your safety."

"For my safety, Dad? For my safety! I wanted this! Draco is not a bad person; I love him! When everyone at school turned me away, who was there for me? Draco! And when I thought nothing would ever go right, who was there to make me feel better? Draco! And did you know that I didn't want to come back? The morning I came back after the game, I didn't want to. I just wanted to stay with Draco. I thought that maybe, maybe I could just run away; Draco and I could both just disappear together.

"But do you know why I didn't? Because of Draco! Draco made me come back. He knew you guys were probably worried and he didn't want to worry you anymore. He made me come back home and take responsibility for my actions, Dad! In all of this, Draco has always been pushing me to keep going and do the right thing!"

The passion was glowing within Harry's emerald eyes, and James could do nothing but stare in astonishment. There was so much that he didn't know, and he wished to speak to his son more thoroughly about this, but was now the time? Could he possibly understand more of his son's passionate feelings?

"Harry, I-"

"No, Dad. Just forget it. You and Mum don't care about me. All you guys care about is having the perfect, model son, so you can blame everything on Draco when everything that's happened was really because of me. I chose to make the first move when we first kissed! I chose to keep the relationship going! And I chose to bloody have sex with him!

"Oh, just forget it! You and Mum will never understand."

And with that, he walked away, leaving a very sad James Potter to sit alone, trying to think things through for his poor, heart-broken son.

DHDHDH

"God, we were so close! The more I think about it, the angrier I get! Damn it, why'd Ginny have to open her big mouth?"

Harry sat on his bed, whining over his relationship with Draco as he'd been doing the past few days, while Ron and Hermione listened like the good friends they were. At the last comment, however, Ron had turned a guilty shade of red and muttered, "Sorry about that. I promise Ginny's not getting away with it, though. Me and the twins are shunning her like the plague. Even Mum is a little sore with her; you know how much my mum likes you. And when Ginny woke up with worms all over her and this funky gunk in her hair, courtesy of the twins, Mum just said she had no idea who could have possibly done it and that it would be best if she stopped making a big deal out of it and just take a shower."

"Oh, my God. They didn't!" Hermione exclaimed unbelievingly.

Harry, however, had been brought to hysterics and couldn't stop the laughter.

"She even had to cut her hair since some of the gunk wouldn't come out. It's really short now. She looks like some weird sort of pumpkin or something. I'd enjoy it except for the fact that she won't stop crying about it, literally! First it was just whining; now it's full out sobbing! 'Oh my hair, my beautiful hair!'" Ron mimicked in a high-pitched voice.

"Well, serves her right!" Harry replied.

"Yeah, and Justin didn't get away with it, either. The coach pulled him off the team for next year. He said that a team is supposed to work together and defend their own members no matter what."

"I guess." Harry said, thinking of how Coach Rabble hadn't been thinking that on the night of the game. Honestly, he'd been the one to keep him out of the game for the whole first half of the game.

DHDHDH

Days passed slower than snails in a three-mile race. Harry couldn't eat; couldn't sleep; couldn't even think straight. He just wanted the date of the trial to come so that he could see Draco again. He just wanted to be close to the blonde; to at least be in the same room with the blonde.

Harry missed him so much.

Everything was going so horribly. Lily had even brought up the idea of possibly moving in order to get away from this whole ordeal and start again. James, however, for whatever reason, had disagreed strongly on that idea, trying to make lame excuses every now and then.

"I was looking into those star thingys and they said that a move would be a terrible idea."

"No you didn't," Lily would argue.

"Yu-huh!"

"Oh really, where? Show me."

"Uh…I can't."

"And why not?"

"Because…uh…only the true eye can see what lies behind."

"Behind what?"

"Behind, uh… you know. The thing."

Lily would roll her eyes and walk away.

Then James would try again.

"Aha! We can't move because the ghosts of this house wish for us to stay."

And the whole thing would start again.

It was sad. James, though he kept true to himself in these moments, was, for the most part, not as happy and playful as he used to be. For some reason, ever since their talk, he had been much more melancholy. The jokes were not as frequent, and even when he was being playful, like when he tried to convince his mother not to move, it wasn't as genuine as it would have been a few weeks ago.

Sometimes, Harry would even hear the jokes completely stop, and James would talk to Lily seriously, voicing his opinion against moving. Perhaps James only joked around in front of Harry to keep up the act, while turning serious when with his mother. Who knew?

DHDHDH

Two large, mahogany oak doors.

Where had they come from? One minute, Harry was moping around, waiting for the day when he would get to see Draco again, and the next, here he was, standing before the doors that would lead him into the court, where the love of his life was waiting for him.

He gulped nervously.

Suddenly, he just wanted to turn around and walk away. He couldn't do it. He couldn't possibly face all those people in there. Oh Lord, what would happen once he stepped past those doors? Maybe he could just turn around and walk away. Just turn around and-

"Oi, Sonny, are you going in or what?" A guard asked, standing a few feet away.

"Oh, er…"

"The court is about to come into session. Either you go in now, or you don't go at all."

"Right," Harry replied, and slowly, he pushed past the doors.

DHDHDH

AN:

Ok, short, again. There are two more chapters after this. The final chapter, and the epilogue, though it's probably not the type of epilogue you have all been expecting. Then again, maybe it is. I don't know. :-P

Anyway, I hope you like it. By the way, I have finally made my decision of whether or not Draco will go to jail, but my lips are sealed. So I suppose you can keep guessing in your reviews. Maybe you'll be right. :-)

Anywho, I hope you liked the chapter though, again, it was a little bit of a filler, in my opinion. Now, I have only a few hours to type up the last two chapters, so I have to end this AN now.

Please review!

xoxo Spideria xoxo