A/N: I know it has been absolutely FOREVER since I've written anything for this fic, but I've decided I want to continue writing it. So…I hope you all don't hate me and are still willing to read. I'll try to update again soon.

Chapter Two:

Vulnerable

"Come on Ron, say something." Harry begged, nudging his friend's shoulder. He was sitting on the bed beside Ron, but Ron wasn't looking at him, he was staring off at the wall.

Ron snapped out of his shocked stare and shook his head, "No…no, that can't be true. You…you can't be gay. You're my best mate. I…I don't know what you want me to say to that. Why did you never tell me before? We're 16 you had to have known before now! Harry I…I don't know…"

"Stop talking Ron." Harry ordered, standing up so he was looking Ron in the face. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. Did you forget everything I just said to you? I've never thought about liking boys before. I've never had a gay thought ever, okay? This is just what I found out when I was with Hermione last night. Please understand, Ron. It's not my fault." Harry stopped talking. He couldn't go on knowing Ron was going to be creeped out by him. He didn't know what he would do if he didn't have Ron anymore.

"Okay, mate, I hear you." Ron said calmly. "But you have to see this from side, too. I'll try to understand. It's just if you've never felt…gay…before then how do you know you are? Maybe it was just a…a fluke or something and you're really not. You think that's what happened, Harry?"

Harry shook his head slowly, "No. That spell Hermione cast couldn't have messed up. Come on Ron let's just talk about this later. We're going to be late meeting Hermione. I'm going to take a shower, and you can go tell Hermione about what happened, okay? I think one confession a day is my limit."

"Sure, sure, I'll go tell Hermione." Ron nodded getting up off the bed.

"Ron wait, this doesn't change anything between us, right? I don't want things to be weird." Harry said, biting his lower lip.

Ron put his hand on Harry's shoulder and said, "No. Nothing's going to change, don't worry. I'm not homophobic. Hell, I think Percy's gay and I still live with him. Maybe I can hook you two up and you can get married and be my brother."

"Ron you're kidding. Percy? I don't think so. He's not really my type." Harry said, pushing Ron's arm off his shoulder.

Ron started laughing, "I was only kidding. If you have to like men, you're at least going to get someone good looking, right?"

Harry joined his friend in his laughter, "Oh course, what do you take me for?"

Draco was walking by himself up to the Great Hall for some breakfast when he heard clicking heels hurrying behind him. "Draco, wait up!" Draco rolled his eyes, inwardly moaning for not walking faster, before turning to greet Pansy.

The blonde grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him roughly on the lips before releasing him and saying in a sultry voice, "Blaise told me all about how you want to wait to have sex until you know for sure that you like them, and that's totally okay with me. It's actually the sweetest thing I've ever heard. I would never have guessed Draco Malfoy was a softie." She smiled and pinched one of his cheeks.

"Wasn't that nice of Blaise to tell you that for me? He's such a great guy." Draco said, taking note to beat the shit out of Blaise later. "I'm glad you understand, Pansy, I knew you would."

"You should have just told me in the first place. There are so many things we can do without actually doing the dirty deed." Pansy winked a heavily made up blue eye at Draco and pinched his butt. "So just let me know."

"Sure thing, Pansy." Draco said, wincing at the thought of actually having to touch Pansy again the way he did last night. "I was actually on my way to eat, so…"

"Great, I'll come with you." Pansy took hold of one of Draco's hands and pulled him down the corridor with her.

Harry walked out of the boy's dorm and into the common room feeling refreshed and ready to face Hermione's reaction. He saw Ron first, motioning to the chair opposite him and making a face told Harry Hermione hadn't taken his news very well. Hermione must have seen Ron's gesture because a moment later her head poked up over the top of the chair, and tears immediately filled her brown eyes.

"Harry!" She stood and attached herself to Harry's waist, crying into the front of his robe. "Why didn't you tell me? You should have just told me last night. You thought that idiot could handle your news better than I could have?"

"Hey!" Ron protested.

Harry awkwardly patted Hermione on the back, not sure why she was so upset. "I'm sorry 'Mione, I was scared. I just came back here and went to sleep. I didn't tell Ron until this morning. I didn't think I could handle saying anything to anyone last night. I really am sorry."

Hermione nodded, "I understand, but I still wish you would have told me. How do you feel? Are you okay with all of this? I mean, I know this must be hard to hear, especially in the way that you did, but are you handling this all right?" She wiped her eyes with her hands and stared into Harry's face looking for a reaction.

"Um, I think I'm going to be fine. I don't think I'll walk out of the common room and fall in love with the next good looking bloke that walks by, but when it happens I'm sure I'll be okay." Harry really wasn't sure what he'd do when he started thinking about other boys being hot or whatever. He probably wouldn't be sharing that with Ron or Hermione anytime soon. In fact, he still hoped he wouldn't have feelings for a boy at all.

"Harry, just promise me you won't try to hide things like this from us again, okay? Because we can always help, and you know that." Hermione said.

Harry hesitated and then nodded, "All right, I promise I won't hide things from either of you."

"Good, are we done now? Because I'm starving," Ron said impatiently.

"Yes Ronald, we can go eat." Hermione said, leading the way. "You really must learn to use your manners. When we're discussing important matters you can't interrupt just because you're hungry. You're always hungry."

"Are you correcting my manners or telling me I'm a pig? Because I'm confused," Ron asked.

"It doesn't matter. Let's go eat." Hermione said with a toss of her light brown hair.

The three were silent as they approached the Great Hall. Before they went inside, though, Harry had to say something to them. He grabbed both of their elbows and said, "Wait, you guys aren't going to say anything to anyone, right? I don't want you to accidentally slip up or anything. Not yet at least. Maybe I'll tell people someday. Just not yet, not until I feel something, you know?"

"Of course, Harry. We won't say anything, will we Ron?" Hermione said, starting the red head in the eyes hardly.

"What are you looking at me like that for? I'm not going to say anything." Ron said, his blue eyes wide and innocent. "Harry, you trust me, don't you mate?"

"I guess so, but if you slip up I will kick your sorry arse." Harry warned.

"Sure, of course. I wouldn't expect anything less." Ron agreed.

"All right, let's go eat then." Harry said, leading the way to their usual seats at the Gryffindor table. The Hall was nearly empty, but it was late and most people had already eaten and moved on to other things. There were no Gryffindors other than Harry, Hermione and Ron. There was a few Ravenclaw, a group of Hufflepuff girls and a circle of Slytherin: Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Zabini and a few others.

Draco had already glared at Blaise until the boy knew Pansy had blabbed to Draco after he told her not to. It was his own fault for trusting Pansy, he knew she couldn't keep a secret, but he didn't think she could say something to him in the time it took her to get from the Slytherin common room to the Great Hall. Blaise mouthed "I'm sorry" to Draco a few times, and Draco finally forgave him and was talking to him when Potter and his two followers came in and Blaise jokingly wiggled his eyes and Draco. Draco kicked Blaise under the table and started ignoring him again.

"Ow, Merlin!" Blaise grabbed his shin and bit his lip. "Did you have to kick me that hard, Draco? I was only kidding!"

Pansy frowned, "What were you kidding about? I didn't hear you say anything."

"It was nothing, Pansy." Draco said. "I kicked him because he made a face at me."

"Well why'd you make a face at him, Blaise?" Pansy wondered.

Blaise took a bite of a pumpkin muffin and then said, "Mffm, I felt like it."

"You shouldn't tease poor Draco, you know he's a sensitive boy." Pansy said in her loud voice and reached under the table and slid her hand from Draco's knee to his upper thigh.

Draco heard laughter from the Gryffindor table beside them and he looked over to see Potter, Weasel and Mudblood doubled over from laughter. He heard Weasel gasp out, "Malfoy! Sensitive!" Then he just burst out laughing all over again. Draco removed Pansy's hand from his lap and glared at Blaise.

A/N: Okay, so I'm stopping there for now. When I get a few reviews I'll put up the next chapter.