Chapter five

After McGonagall made her speech in regards to rules and regulations, she also said that the returning seventh years will have more freedom now as they are adults and would have normally left. So Harry and his friends realised that they wouldn't have a night time curfew as long as they didn't stay up all night. They could walk around the castle at night, but not outside. They could stay outside later on Friday and Saturday nights in the warmer weather and they could go to Hogsmeade every second weekend if they wished. They were also able to leave Hogsmeade if they have their apparition licence. Harry frowned at that, but only Ron and Hermione knew he didn't, maybe he should talk to McGonagall and work that out.

He could apparate perfectly and had been doing for more than a year, surely something could be done. Right after that Harry followed Hermione as she was head girl and led the Gryffindor prefects and first years up to the tower with everyone else following. When she said the password, belladonna, she made sure that Harry was able to see her lips, then they all entered. Harry didn't wait, he raced up the stairs to his room, rummaged around his trunk and grabbed his cloak. Even with the new rules, he thought it was safer with his deafness and his cloak had come in handy a lot over the years. He headed back down and heard Hermione giving the first years a small talk about being considerate. He waved to his friends and hurried out of tower and down to the defence classroom. He practically ran all the way into Charlie's private rooms and saw him standing there, naked, waiting for him. Harry put his cloak on the small sofa, then quickly got rid of his shoes, socks, glasses and clothes before they were in each other's arms. Then made it to the bed, where they instantly made love.

'You should head back and get some sleep Harry. But I need to know what you and Malfoy were talking about,' Charlie ran his fingers down Harry's chest but his face stayed looking at Harry's face so he could read his lips.

'He thought that now it's all over that if we sort of became friends then the other students would see it and things might settle down. I always knew he was forced to do those things, he said some of the other Slytherin's didn't want that life either and they are a little worried about how they will be treated. So I shook his hand gave him a smile and we talked friendly to each other and we knew we were being watched. But Charlie, you weren't jealous, were you? I've told you how much I love you.'

'I was a bit, he's a good looking bloke.'

'Maybe, but you're the best looking bloke around and your all mine and I'm yours. You're all I want Charlie, you always will be.'

Charlie smiled, 'I know, but I just couldn't help myself. I think it was the fact I hadn't seen you all week, and that was hard.'

'Yeah, it was, I was miserable,' Harry bent down and kissed Charlie's chest, 'Just seeing you, oh my heart seemed to start again.'

Charlie smiled then lifted Harry's head, 'Mine too.'

'I don't want to leave Charlie, can't I stay here? I'll wake early and go get my stuff.'

'Okay, but make sure no one see's you leave, it wouldn't look too good.'

'I brought my cloak, but look,' Harry got up and went to his clothes and dug out his old coin from his pocket, 'These are the old coins we used in the DA, Hermione put a Proteus charm on them. Let me tell Ron I'm staying, I mentioned it to him and we both found our own coins. Ron said he'd wonder if something is wrong if he doesn't see me,' Harry quickly made his coin change, 'Staying with Charlie, there, he'll know, he said he'll sit it next to his bed.'

'Actually that's smart, they might think something is wrong if they can't find you. We all talked and worked out for you to always be with someone, until you decide to let people know you're deaf.'

'I know, not yet Charlie,' Harry put his coin with his glasses then put his arms around Charlie and his head on his chest, 'Not yet babe, just a bit more time,' Harry felt Charlie's hand tap him once which means yes, two taps meant no, then his arms tightened around Harry and within minutes they were both sound asleep.

After a quick shower Harry headed up to Gryffindor tower under his cloak and he only did that in case someone said something and he didn't see their lips. He smiled at the other blokes in his room and changed into his school stuff.

'This feels so strange,' Harry pulled at his tie and robes, 'I hate robes.'

'Yeah, but we can remove them later, just not yet or on the first day. But I got your message and I figured you'd stay with Charlie. Did you keep each other up all night?' Ron smirked.

'Definitely up,' Harry chuckled, 'Now let's get breakfast, I could eat a hippogriff.'

Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus laughed, 'That's more like Ron,' Neville said, 'It must be all the sex.'

'Yes, it is, builds an appetite.'

'We wouldn't know,' Seamus shook his head.

'You will, it's over now, we can finally be normal blokes, so go find some girls, Ron already has his.'

'We will, but we're jealous, you're shagging and we're not,' Seamus shook his head again making the others laugh.

'You maybe, I am,' Ron said proudly but his ears still turned red.

'Oh great, so Potter and Weasley are getting some, come on,' Dean said sounding disappointed and led the way out of the dorm room where they met up with Ginny and Hermione who kissed Ron, then touched Harry's arm.

'Everyone knows you're gay now.'

'Yep, but we expected it, so I'll be a curiosity for a while.'

'You might get questioned as well, they know you're gay but not who you're with,' Hermione said.

'Yeah, so you stick close or you'll have people realising,' Ginny pointed to her ears.

'Okay, thanks,' Harry gave her a smile and saw Seamus looking at Ginny, so he stepped closer to Ginny and mouthed "Seamus is checking you out". Harry knew Ginny had been learning to read lips while he had been. He saw her smile then nod before mouthing "thanks"

The group made their way down to the great hall and sat together at the Gryffindor table. But again Harry sat between Hermione and Neville. He looked up at the staff table and smiled at Charlie who was watching him. Whenever Harry saw that look, he just couldn't help reacting, he grinned hugely then started to dish up a huge breakfast to much amusement from his friends because they knew why Harry had such a big appetite. Harry never paid much attention to the conversation, sometimes catching his friends lips and working out what they were talking about. But when the other students all left, Slughorn walked over to the returning seventh year Slytherin's, Sprout to the Hufflepuff's, Flitwick to the Ravenclaw's and instead of McGonagall to the Gryffindor's, it was Charlie who grinned down at Harry.

'You're new time tables, hand them out, the names are on the top,' Charlie said but smirked at Harry again because he could see the look Harry was giving him, 'So first period off, next class, most will be in with me. But now I have to get ready for my first class, I'll see you all later, but Mr. Potter, come with me please?'

'Yes…sir,' Harry smirked then he saw all his friends laugh and some shook their heads.

'Don't give Harry a…hard…time already Professor Weasley,' Ron smirked and everyone heard the way he pronounced hard.

'I'm sure Mr. Potter can take anything I dish out, follow me,' Charlie chuckled along with Harry as they left the hall and ended up in his room again and in each other's arms.

Over the next few days the students got themselves into a routine, but so did Harry and Charlie. Hermione, Ron and their friends were surprised at how good Charlie was at being a teacher. But all the students from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were surprised at the Slytherin's and how they behaved. There was no name calling, no snide looks, they were pleasant when speaking with everyone and also polite if they asked someone a question, including Harry and his friends. Harry smiled thinking his little talk with the blond seemed to have worked, now the whole school seemed to be like any other school, no animosity between the student. Of course you still got your fights, some students just didn't get on or like others, but they were normal arguments or fights.

Harry had also spoken to McGonagall about his apparition license, she spoke to Hermione and Ron who assured her that Harry could apparate perfectly. Even though she knew he could, she had never seen him do it, so she explained to Harry that she could get Kingsley to organise a license for him but he would want to know why he couldn't go into the ministry and take his test. She said that it might be wise to tell him the truth about Harry, he finally agreed as long as Kingsley kept it to himself.

A week later, Harry was again sitting with his friends at the Gryffindor table, mostly watching Charlie, but sometimes taking in what was being said around him when he caught his friends lips. Hermione tapped him on the arm and pointed, but made sure no one else saw what she was doing.

Harry turned, 'Kingsley, sorry, Minister,' Harry stood up as he smiled.

'Since I'm not here as official minister, it's still Kingsley. But how are you Harry?'

'I'm good, you know, getting used to everything,' Harry raised his eyebrows.

'Yes, do you think we could go talk in private?'

'Um, yeah, sure,' Harry shrugged and followed Kingsley out of the great hall and across the hall into an empty classroom.

'So this happened because he dropped you?'

'Yeah, first I just had a ringing in my ears, but by the next morning I couldn't hear at all. Charlie was working with me for a few months until I got lip reading down perfectly.'

'How is it then that the other students don't realise you're deaf?'

'With Hermione and the others always around me, they get my attention. But also I'm in a relationship with Charlie, so we use that as an excuse. I sit and stare at him all the time, so when someone speaks and I can't see them, Hermione or one of the others say I'm dreaming of Charlie again and that's why I didn't hear them.'

'Okay, well, it seems to work. But why don't you want anyone to know, it would make it easier on you?'

'I know, everyone tells me that, but I don't want their sympathy or see the looks they will give me. But there's another reason, I actually feel a bit embarrassed about it. I can go through fighting Voldemort and his death eaters for years and I'm fine, he drops me and I'm deaf,' Harry sighed as he shook his head, 'There goes my dream of being an auror, so I've been thinking about what else I can do, still working on that though.'

'Harry, you don't need to be embarrassed, we all saw the state you were in that morning after he was dead. You were a mess, blood all over you, cuts and bruises so we knew he tortured you and we knew he couldn't resist. You're lucky you didn't die,' Kingsley noticed Harry looked a little uncomfortable as he looked away, so he touched his arm and waited until Harry looked up, 'What is it?'

Harry sighed, 'I did die, for a while, Hagrid said it was about fifteen minutes or so. No one apart from Hermione, Ron and Charlie know that though.'

'Are you saying he did use the killing curse on you again?'

'Yeah, he did and I went somewhere, spoke with Dumbledore for a while before coming back. That's when he decided to play before having Hagrid carry me out. But please keep that to yourself Kingsley?'

'I will, I'm just shocked, but here,' Kingsley pulled out a small piece of parchment and handed it to Harry.

'My license, thanks.'

'I thought it was better to give it to you away from the eyes of the other students. But about you and Charlie, when did that happen?'

'I knew I was gay, worked it out when I was away with Hermione and Ron. So when Charlie was helping me learn to read lips, I needed some advice on personal things, so I spoke to him and we just ended up getting together. We're going to live together as soon as I finish here.'

'About that, Minerva and I would like Charlie to stay on, it would mean you would have to live here as well, which you could. If you got a job outside of Hogwarts, then we can enchant your fireplace in your rooms so only you and Charlie can use it to get in and out of the school.'

'Oh, well, I wouldn't mind living here, I love Hogwarts. I don't know if Charlie wants to take on the defence job full time.'

'Yes, I know, but I'm going to speak with him about that soon. If he knows you can live with him and also leave the school for work, hopefully he might consider it.'

'Yeah, he might, I just wish I knew what I could do, being deaf restricts me.'

'In some things, like an auror, but it wouldn't in being say, a healer. You need to speak to your patients, you look at them, they look at you. If that interest you, then you could talk to Poppy about it, see what's involved.'

'A healer, I've never thought of a healer, but yeah, she always looked at me when she treated me. Well, I might speak with her and then I can think more about it, thanks Kingsley.'

'Anytime, but I think you really are being silly not telling people your deaf. But that's all I'm saying about that, now come on,' Kingsley smiled then he left with Harry, 'I'll talk to you again Harry,' Kingsley hugged him, 'Think about it,' he raised his eyebrows before walking up to the staff table.

Harry sat back down, 'He brought my apparition license,' he said softly, 'Then told me I'm being silly. But he did give me an idea about a career and it's something I might like to do.'

'So are you going to tell us?' Ron asked.

'A healer, it doesn't matter about that, so I could. I'm going to speak with Madame Pomfrey first, then think about it.'

'Yes, a healer is something you could do, so it is something you might consider seriously?' Hermione asked.

'Yeah, I never thought about it before because I was always going to be an auror. If I can't fight to keep everyone safe, then I can heal the ones that need it. I will need to get better with potions though, but I have got time to think about it though.'

'Yep we do, but we need to get to our next class, which is potions,' Ron groaned as he stood up with everyone else, 'Harry, are you okay.'

Everyone turned to face Harry just as he fell back unconscious on the floor with Hermione screaming his name and people running from all directions towards them. But Charlie raced to Harry and picked him up and carried him out of the great hall with all their friends, Minerva and Kingsley following Harry and Charlie to the hospital.