Chapter 8
Disclaimer: The main characters belong to JK Rowling (at least, their names do), but the setting, plot and some other characters are mine.
A/N: Hi people! Thanks for all the great reviews this week. I'm in a seriously Romeo and Juliet mood today. We got this homework for English where we had to pick a character and make their mask for the Capulet ball. I went kind of nuts (I didn't have much to do this weekend) and made Tybalt and Mercutio. Don't know which one I'll submit. Oh well, it's only Saturday. There's still time to choose.
Schulyr: (Laughs) Thanks!
Immortal Tears of: Thank you, and will do.
Elizabeth Turner: Yeah I'm from near London. I take it you're from the US?
Lucky Dragon Smile: Thanks. I've just remembered I have a 2004 Simpsons calendar, which has all the US holidays on it (and some weird ones like 'Cheese Throwing Festival, Denmark' – OK I made that one up, but there are some bizarre ones).
Natasha AKA: Tash: I was in a bit of a hurry and dialogue takes up more space so I didn't notice it being too short until after I posted it. And did I promise fluff? Oops. Sorry. Thanks for the help.
zoomaphonethepirate: Thank you for your custom! Here is your cute angst!
Cherry0214: I know! They're hopeless aren't they? And I hope that was a joke, as you're a great reviewer and I so don't want to lose you, but I don't write full-on slash. I do do slash, but nothing that heavy. Sorry.
lampshadesrgreat: Yeah, the sophomore thing is SO confusing. I still don't think I get it completely. Maybe I'll ask my English teacher. Lol.
TruthxInxShadow: Thanks. Still not totally sure I get it, but thanks anyway.
Invisible Voice: Did you find those handcuffs yet?
Katatonia: I watched that Friends episode too! I kind of have mixed feelings about it getting replaced by the Simpsons, which I love (on C4 weekdays at 6?) but I'll get over it. :-) Oh well, I digress. The US school system is confusing.
Cookies, as usual: (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)
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By 7.50pm on Saturday, Minster High was packed. Harry had arrived with Melfin just after the dance started, and met up with his friends just inside the main doors before going on to the hall. Melfin looked great, in a shimmery green dress and silver jewellery, but Harry didn't notice. His thoughts were completely riveted on Draco. The blond boy was wearing black trousers and a pale blue shirt that brought out the subtle colour in his eyes.
Harry tried with all his power to refocus his misspent attention on his date. The pain of his feelings for Draco had been intensifying even more lately, and he was starting, imperceptibly, to crack up. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep his thoughts completely to himself for much longer. The big question was who would be in the vicinity when he cracked.
The hall looked fantastic. They really had gone nuts on decorations, Harry reflected as he looked around. Then Melfin dragged him off to dance, and he stopped thinking.
In retrospect, he didn't know how he got through the evening. It was a whirl of forcing himself not to look at Draco, who was off with Blaise promoting the play to anyone who'd listen, and avoiding having to kiss Melfin. But before he knew it, the first slow dance was kicking off, and she was draping herself over him. Guilt bit hard, and he felt like a complete rat for going out with her when he wanted someone else.
Then she kissed him, and the rat feeling increased a thousand fold. He didn't know what to do except hope it would all be over soon.
It felt like an age, but soon it was over. Lily came to pick them both up, and feeling duty-bound he sat in the back seat with Melfin as they took her home. Lily asked them how the dance had gone. Harry said little, but Melfin more than made up for it. At last they dropped her off. He quickly kissed her goodnight (rat, rat, rat, screamed his brain) and got into the passenger seat.
"Honey, what's up?" Lily asked as she turned out of Melfin's street.
"What?" He said in surprise. "Nothing's 'up'."
His mother gave a wry laugh. "Yeah right. I can tell when something's wrong with you, sweetie. So tell me."
"Nothing's wrong!" Harry insisted.
"Look. You're a successful high school kid. You've got a good part in the school play, you're pretty popular and you've just been to a dance with a girl who's pretty, nice and totally stuck on you," Lily told him without taking her eyes off the road. "And something's eating you. You're kind of quiet and I can tell you're a bit... down. So tell me."
Harry opened his mouth to deny it again, but nothing came to mind, so he shut it again and thought. "OK, so there is something. But you can't do anything about it. No one can."
"Maybe not, but it helps to talk." She put on a 'counsellor' voice as she said this. Harry didn't laugh. "Boy, it must be bad."
"Mm," Harry answered quietly.
"Come on," Lily coaxed. "What is it? I don't like seeing you so down."
He took a deep breath. It shook slightly, and she glanced over with a worried expression. "It-it's something kind of... big, mom. I'm not sure I can tell you..."
"'Cause it's so big? Or 'cause I'm your mother?" She asked calmly.
"I... I don't know."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. At last Harry mustered the courage to speak. "It's just that I... I'm in love." A few seconds of profound silence followed.
"Well, I take it it isn't Melfin, or else this wouldn't be a problem." Lily said slowly.
"No," Harry confirmed, so quietly she could barely hear him.
"So who is it?" She inquired gently.
"I can't tell you."
"Give me clues then. Um, do I know them?"
"Yes," Harry said reluctantly, giving in. He knew he wasn't going to get away from her now.
"Do I like them?"
"Well, you've never given me reason to believe otherwise."
"Come on, Harry. I'm your mom, you can tell me."
"I can't! I really can't tell you."
"Well then, I've got an idea. So if you don't tell me, I'll guess. And if I'm wrong it'll be hideously embarrassing for us both." Lily's maternal intuition had kicked in, and she did have a damn good idea what was going on.
Harry said nothing as she turned onto their drive.
"Come on, honey. Or I'll guess." By using 'I'll guess' as a jokey threat, she had hoped to get a smile out of him, but as she turned off the ignition and looked at him, she found the exact opposite. Tears were welling up. Her intuition increased. She reached over the gearshift and took hold of his hand. "Harry?"
Tears beginning to flow, Harry took a deep breath. "It's... Draco. I'm gay, mom."
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Harry wasn't quite sure how he got inside, but next thing he knew he was in the hallway.
"Your dad's asleep," Lily whispered. "And so's Deb. Go on up, I'll bring you a hot chocolate." He went upstairs as he was told, and sat on his bed, feeling numb. He had cracked at last. Telling someone had made it scarily real.
About two minutes later, his mother came in with two mugs of hot chocolate and sat down next to him. He still looked tearful, so she put them both down and gave him the hug he so needed.
"How close was your guess then?" He asked quietly.
She smiled. "You probably won't believe me, but spot on."
"Are you mad at me?"
"Of course not!" She looked at him in utter surprise.
He shrugged. "Doesn't matter. It's never going to happen anyway."
Lily smiled again. "Well, I've got some news for you. Turns out our little friend swings that way too."
"I know, but-" Harry did a rapid double take and stared at her. "Hang on! How do you know?"
"You're not the only one who comes to me with problems you know. A few weeks ago, a certain someone read something about a certain other person on a certain website..."
"Deb!" Harry shook his head. "I really didn't think she'd look at that site. I mean, I looked at it myself but I got distracted before I found the bit about him."
Lily nodded. "Well she read it. She came to me and told me straight after. She didn't know whether to come clean to you or just keep her mouth shut. Anyway, he's that way too... OK I'll say it, he's gay too, so I think you are in with a chance..."
Harry shook his head again. "No, he told me himself the morning after my party, but he said he didn't feel that way about me..." He dissolved into tears again, and Lily put her arms around him tightly.
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After taking Blaise home, Draco said goodnight to his mother, went upstairs and flopped down on the wicker chair in the corner of his room. His schoolbag was on the floor, and he reached down and pulled a piece of paper out of it. He knew he shouldn't have this. Harry had given him his locker keys and asked him to fetch one of his books from the locker, and Draco had found the paper. He didn't know how he'd kept his mouth shut all day after seeing it. What was he going to do about it?
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A/N: Ooh, cliffie! It'll be a week until the next update (unless something big happens, like me getting half-crushed by an insanely large pile of homework). But no, updating is my way of unwinding at weekends. And in the week, but that rarely ever happens any more. Too much stuff to do. As ever, review! Rewards are undying gratitude and, more valuably (ha) cookies! Thank you!
PS. the counter is a sad and lonely freak with nothing better to do than work out statistics! Sorry people, but that review I got from him/her really pissed me off and I had to say something. Just look at the review, or look up his/her biography. I think it says it all.
