"Hey, Ron, I've been meaning to talk to you," Harry says, clearing his throat. Now's his chance. I'm really going to do it, he thinks. I'm really going to tell my best mate that I've been cheating on his little sister with our arch nemesis.
Almost more than he's afraid of Ron's reaction about his sister, he's afraid of Ron's reaction about his sexuality. He'd never actually admitted to it before- even with Hermione, the words never escaped his lips-and he's sure that Ron would be freaked out by the idea of someone with whom he'd shared his room, his bed, being a fairy, a fag, a-
"Yeah? Everything okay?" Ron asks, rummaging around his his bag for something. (Clearly not paying attention.)
"Sort of-"
"Harry! I totally forgot to tell you about Lavender Brown!" Ron suddenly exclaims, a smile spreading across his face. Harry's heart drops to his feet.
"What about her?"
"We shagged."
For a moment, all thoughts of Malfoy escape Harry's mind. For a moment, he's completely focused on Ron's proclamation. For a moment, he's not scared shitless about admitting to something he's tried for so long to keep a secret.
"Holy fuck! Merlin! Crazy to think that you're no longer a virgin," Harry says with a playful laugh. Ron rolls his eyes, clearly proud of himself.
"Well, looks like one of us has finally lost it."
"Actually-" Harry stops himself. He and Ginny had never gone all the way before, and while he most definitely wasn't a virgin, he didn't want her older brother possibly dropping hints about something that wasn't going on. "Yeah. I hate admitting to it. But yeah."
Ron grins and slaps Harry on the shoulder.
"It's okay. We've all been there. Now, what was it that you were wanting to tell me?"
Harry tries to speak, but his voice is lost in his throat, still trapped in the base of his lungs along with everything else he's tried to suppress (and it's not like he knows how to forklift, how to reach and pull and speak. This tongue has been many places and said many things, but now it simply presses against the back of his teeth and waits, poignantly, and, Harry thinks, rather stupidly.)
"I-"
"You okay, mate?"
And then Harry sees him. Malfoy. His blonde hair seems shorter now, paler, but still beautiful all the same. Malfoy glances at him and the ice that seems to perpetually cloak his face appears to melt a little, and his cheeks flush the same color as his prick when-
As soon as he sees him, he's gone. Harry's stopped in his tracks, breath caught in his throat.
"Harry!" Ron yells, already almost a meter in front of him. "What the fuck are you doing?"
"Sorry," Harry mumbles. "I lost track of time there, for a second." He jogs forward until he's walking next to Ron, who, again, rolls his eyes.
"Come on. We've got to get to Potions. Slughorn may actually chop us up and use us for Draught of Living Death if we're late again," Ron says tauntingly.
Potions. With Malfoy. Harry had completely forgotten about this fact until now, and he can't stop a smile from tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Right. Yeah. And we can't let that happen, can we?"
If this is how things could go on forever- Harry and Ron, Harry and Ginny, Harry and Malfoy in secret, kissing and loving and shagging and touching-then Harry thinks that he would be completely, totally, and unequivocally okay with that.
During Potions, Harry finds it more difficult than usual to keep it in his trousers. Malfoy knows this better than anyone, slides Harry a note that reads, in its usual messy scrawl, Room of Requirement after class. Also, everything's okay with Zabini. He's not mad. And he's not going to tell anyone, as far as I know.
By the time Harry's inside of the Room, he's nearly bursting out of his knickers. He presses himself against the cool stone wall and waits for Malfoy to come join him.
Finally, Malfoy joins him, throws his school bag on the ground and grins as he nears Harry.
"Sorry 'bout that- Crabbe and Goyle just wanted to talk their stupid fucking heads off, you know? And of course I had to listen to them. Forgive me, my Gryffindor slag." Harry laughs and grabs Malfoy by the waist, pulling him close.
"Kiss me," he whispers. Almost instantly, Malfoy does as he's told and leans in close, licks Harry's lips before diving between them. Slowly, he raises Harry's arms up from his hips and pins them to the wall behind them. Harry moans softly, bites Malfoy's bottom lip in response.
"You beautiful, wretched lad," Malfoy breathes, pausing the kissing for a moment to take off both his and Harry's cloaks and shirts.
As soon as Harry's pale neck has been fully revealed, Malfoy begins kissing it, working his way from the other boy's ear to his Adam's apple, which he sucks until Harry lets out a groan of pleasure.
"That's going to leave a mark," Harry says with a smile. Malfoy, without a reply, begins kissing Harry's lips again.
"My turn," Harry suddenly exclaims, this time pushing Malfoy against the wall. Malfoy grins.
"Finally using that Gryffindor courage for something worthwhile, eh?"
"Shut up and let me go down on you."
Harry kisses down his neck before sucking on each of Malfoy's nipples, both hardened and rigid against his tongue. Then he kisses down Malfoy's stomach, hands already undoing the buttons and zipper of his trousers.
Come to think of it, Harry realizes, he's never truly seen Malfoy's manhood in the light of day, and, he notes, it really is quite a beautiful sight. Not too long, but plenty wide, with a light sprinkle of hair here and there, tip red like his lips, his flushed cheeks-
Just as Harry begins kissing the half-hard shaft, the sound of a door opening echoes through the room.
"Shit," Harry breathes, quickly pulling away in an attempt to find his clothes. Malfoy does the same, but it's too late. Ron Weasley is staring at both of them, arms folded angrily across his chest.
"Two days in a row of getting caught. I'd say that's a new record," Malfoy sneers, pulling his sweater down over his head.
"Just for once, can you not be a prick?" Harry asks Malfoy, disappointment and fear written all over his face. Malfoy sighs, and the two turn to face Ron.
"Ron, I can explain-"
"No, Harry. No, you fucking can't."
"This isn't what it looks like," Harry tries feebly, but Ron rolls his eyes. He may be daft sometimes, though he's no idiot.
"Yes, it is. How could you not tell me this? Any of this? I'm your best mate. Your best FUCKING MATE!" Ron shouts, throwing his wand down on the floor. "This whole time, I've let you borrow my clothes, spend weeks in my house, and you've been bent the entire fucking time? Has this been going on for years? You know, I've had fears that I've been nothing but a sidekick to you, but this….now I know who I am. I know my fucking place."
Harry's never seen Ron this mad. The cage of his heart opens, closes. Opens, closes. To speak would be an admittance, so he swallows silence until he feels whole, takes off his glasses and watches the world, suddenly deliciously blurry, spiral around him. If he focuses hard enough, he is back to being six years old, back to being under the cupboard, back to being hit and kicked and unable to clearly see those who were hurting him-
"Can you leave, weasel?" Draco smirks. "Clearly, you are not welcome here."
"How about you leave, Malfoy? This is between me and Harry."
"No."
"Ron...I've been meaning to tell you for weeks. It's just- it never seemed like the right time. I could never catch you alone, or you wanted to talk about something else, and I, I, I figured I would tell you as soon as the right moment came along. I swear."
"Does my sister know?"
Harry puts his glasses back on and looks away. Just as there was a hint of forgiveness in Ron's voice, Harry was about to break it.
"No. I-erm-I've also been meaning to get on that."
"You've been cheating on my sister with Draco 'smeg-head' Malfoy?" The disgust in Ron's voice is overwhelming. Harry cracks his knuckles as he nods.
"Hey," Malfoy interjects. "What did you just call me, you ugly tosser?"
"Smeg-head. You absolute fucking wanker."
Malfoy shakes his head, mouth set firmly into a grimace. A really fucking scary looking grimace.
"Malfoy, please-" Harry stops when he sees Ron walking away. Just as he's about to exit, he turns back around, a fist clenched at his side.
"You'll regret this."
And with that, he leaves. Harry stands up and gently lays a hand on Malfoy's shoulder.
"I'll sort it out with him. He won't do anything. But still. I mean… we've really fucked up this time. More so than with Zabini," Harry says quietly, slowly embracing Malfoy, who awkwardly wraps his arms around Harry's waist.
"But we always find our way back to each other," Malfoy assures him. "Fucking always."
"Yeah," Harry says, letting out a breath that tickles the hairs on the back of Malfoy's neck. "You're right. Always have. Always will. That's my disgusting, horrible, beautiful, fucking wonderful Slytherin. Mine."