"Potter!" Harry snaps awake, raising his head from the table. Professor Snape is standing directly in front of him, glaring at him disapprovingly. He looks around, it's just him and Snape in the room.

"Class is over?" Harry asks, slightly sleepy sounding.

"I realize Defence against the Dark Arts is pretty boring when you're not being favored Potter, but it would do you good to pay attention," Snape says sarcastically.

"It's only boring when the professor isn't suited for the job," Harry snaps back.

"I want you for detention, Friday night Potter," Snape snaps. Harry rolls his eyes, takes the detention slip and storms out of the room.

He pauses in the great hall, it's ten minutes after class ending and he's late to see Ron. He rushes through the halls, dodging people as he goes. As he gets farther down in the dungeons he comes across less people. Eventually he is alone as he speed walks down the corridors, eventually coming to an empty hallway. It's a part of the castle that probably hasn't been used since before his parents went to Hogwarts, when there were far more young students.

He knocks the secret knock and goes into the room, Ron is waiting there, shirtless. He looks slightly annoyed, "I'm late, I know."

"It's ok," Ron says back, "I just need your body right now."

They always spend their private time in this room because it has a large quantity of bean bag chairs, probably from some defence against the dark arts class. They find the softest one, Ron sitting first and Harry on top of him, his face against his bare chest. His scent is intoxicating.

"How has your day been?" Harry asks after a while.

"I can't complain," Ron says, "it's only the first week so not too much homework or anything too hard."

Harry laughs, he feels the chuckles deep in Ron's chest, " I know what you mean, I already had a detention from Snape though," he says, scoffing, "you're so lucky to have not taken that class."

"You already have a detention?!" Ron says, bewildered.

"Yep," he says with a little bit of false pride, "I fell asleep in class."

"Have you been sleeping bad again?" Ron asks, concern in his voice, "I haven't heard you this week."

"It's been alright, there's just a lot going on," Harry admits, "I don't want to talk about it, I just want to chill with you," they sit there for a moment again, "can I ask you something though Ron?"

"Sure Harry."

"What are we? Like…" he pauses, thinking and choosing his words, "we have sex, we…kiss, we cuddle and sleep together sometimes, are we keep each other sane almost, will we ever tell anyone about us?"

"I don't know to be honest," Ron admits, Harry lifts up his head and looks into Ron's eyes.

"I've never loved anyone really," he says quietly, "do I don't know how this goes...I've never even dated any one else but you."

"You love me?" Ron asks, sounding a little bewildered.

"I don't even know what that means really, I've…" he pauses, he can feel his face getting warm, "I've never loved anyone in that way."

Ron looks shocked, "I thought we were just having fun," he looks uncomfortable at the subject, "what do you expect to happen? Like we become a thing or something?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking" Harry says.

"Have you ever met a gay witch or wizard Harry?" Ron ask and Harry shakes his head "you've been going to Hogwarts for six years and not one," his tone is almost dismissive.

"But that doesn't mean…" he starts.

"There is not much that we wizards don't talk about and sex is one of them," Ron almost looks shaken as he is saying these things, "Gay witches and wizards have been ostracized for coming out. They're not a part of our world."

"I don't understand," Harry says, "being gay is not a big deal is it?"

"It's a bigger deal than you think," Ron says, "trust me I know and family is all I have I don't want to risk loosing that."

Harry looks back at Ron's eyes, the fear there tells him all he needs to know. They pull closer to each other, "I'm ok with what we have right now, just promise me you won't drop me without warning?"

"I promise," Ron whispers back.

They kiss deeply, Harry moving to Ron's lap as they do so. Harry feels Ron's hands on his back, lifting up his shirt and moving his hands down into his pants. They're still kissing, breathing deeper as Harry starts to move up and down on his lap.

…Harry jolts awake, the memory of his dream fresh in his mind. Ron is still asleep, pressed up against his backside. He can feel Ron's chest move as he breathes and it's almost soothing.

He grabs Ron's hand tighter. He closes his eyes, the dream still fresh in his mind. He gently shoves Ron's hand onto the bed next to him and as carefully as possible gets out of the bed. He stands there and stares at Ron, still sleeping.

He still remembers what it was like to travel around with Ron. It was the best time of his life, he had both of the people he loved and was able to balance it all. But now he could only see Ron in this capacity a few times a year at most.

He goes to the bathroom outside, staring out at the stars on his way back to the tent. They have protective charms very similar to what the three of them used when they were destroying horcruxes so no one could see him even if they were standing right beside him.

"Harry?" He heads from inside the tent. Ron emerges a moment later, clad only in underwear and still half asleep.

"I'm here Ron," he says, "I was going to the bathroom."

"Come back inside," Ron mutters, when he gets back inside Ron is lying on the bed, his hands over his face. Harry crawls in next to him. He sits up next to him, looking down at him. He hesitates, at first pushing away the idea of telling him about the dream but breaks, "I had a dream…"

Ron slowly uncovers his eyes, "me too," he admits. They stare at each other for a moment, the only source of light coming from a small candle Ron must have lit when he woke.

"The first…"

"...time you said you loved me?" Ron finishes the sentence.

The state at each other for a moment, a cold chill runs down Harry's spin as he does. He looks away.

"I love you now," Ron says, "why do you supposed we had the same dream, it can't be a coincidence."

"We came on this trip and we had the intention of...making a choice," Harry says, "maybe we need to do that, maybe the universe or our bodies are telling his it's time to do that."

"Shouldn't that be a reason to come clean?" Ron asks, "if…we love each other we can endure the stuff we will have to endure."

"But what about the kids, what about Ginny and Hermione," Harry asks quickly, "I don't…"

"Maybe it's never going to be the time, there's always going to be something to hold us back," Ron says before he can finish his thought, "maybe this is…it for us, I can't think of a way that this keeps happening and everyone is happy at the end of the day."

Harry closes his eyes, not crying because he knows it's the best decision but deeply sad, "I hate to say that you're right."

"So let's make it a good day tomorrow and when we get home that's it," Ron says slowly, the sadness can be heard in his voice as well. Harry snuggles up next to Ron's chest, his eyes still closed.

"I really do love you," Harry whispers after a few minutes of silence, but Ron doesn't answer. After what feels like hours Harry too drifts into an uneasy sleep.


A/N: this story is far from over! Leave reviews on what you would like to see. Also let me know if you would want this story to get more explicit! Thanks!