Hey pretty people, I should be working on my second take-home exam but I'm bored so I decided to write another chapter instead. I mean really, who cares what Ludwig Von Mises critique of socialism was? Or any of the other bloody questions! Thanks for all the great reviews!

Chapter 18

It didn't take Harry and Charlie long to make it back to Harry's room. Charlie was still bright red and looking like he was still hoping for that sudden unexplainable death to occur. Harry decided to react to the situation with his usual forbearance, and dismiss any feelings of, oh say, mortal embarrassment he may be harboring. Besides, after awhile the look on Charlie's face just proved bloody amusing.

"Well, that went well." Ohhh, Charlie REALLY hated it when Harry did that. Okay, normally he found it cute when Harry totally glossed over the typical emotional responses a situation bred, but not today. Not when the situation Harry was ignoring was his family finding their shirts in the hall and the logical conclusions that would breed.

"Oh yes, smashing." The sickly, sarcastic grimace on his face oddly enough belied his words.

"Anyway, I know you have today off so is there something you wanted or needed to do? Or do I get to pick today's fun?"

There were moments when Harry could look so sweet that Charlie never knew how anyone could tell the guy 'no'; he got this little smile on his face and his eyes seemed to shine, not with the artificial light of drugs or alcohol but with some inner light that at times lit up the world and sometimes seemed to have gone out, crushed under the weight of Harry's reality. Now was an instant of the latter. And Charlie couldn't tell him 'no'.

Reaching for Harry, he couldn't resist brushing his slightly longer 'Alex' hair back from is eyes, "Nothing that can't be put off. What did you have in mind?"

"How about we take a walk and I show you the grounds of Snape Manor. Maybe we could have a picnic for lunch? I don't remember the last chance we had to sit, just you and I, and relax."

"Mmm," A quick kiss was exchanged, "I could definitely get behind that idea."

It didn't take long to arrange with the House Elves for a picnic lunch to be delivered by the lake at lunch time, then the boys were off, headed outside for a lazy day together.

They spent the morning together just walking and relaxing, before sitting down to a veritable picnic feast prepared by the House Elves at lunch. In typical Harry fashion he offered Charlie hours of carnal delight after they had finished eating, but Charlie was enjoying the relaxing day, enjoying spending time with Harry, see, as much as he enjoyed it, anyone could have sex with Harry, but Charlie was one of the only people who got to see this part of the man he loved, and so they continued with their lazy day.

Charlie had to depart shortly before dinner; there were things to get done in Romania. Harry decided not to brave the family just yet though and instead took the opportunity to enjoy a night of non-drug induced sleep, sometimes he just had to give into his body's demands for it, even though he knew it would lead to a night of terror and pain as visions from Voldemort mixed with the monsters already in his mind.

Oddly enough he was up terribly early the next morning, having slept for a good 10 hours, of course that sleep had been less then peaceful but his body still thanked him for it, even if his psyche didn't. Harry took the opportunity to head down to the lake to watch the sunrise, an event he had never understood the general fascination with but indulged in on occasion in the hopes that this time he would get why it was so 'special'. Yet again, he didn't. He was still sitting there when Severus found him, having been tipped off by the House Elves.

"You're up early." Normally Harry would be pointing out with his sharp tongue the fact that obvious statements were fucking stupid, but something about the soft morning light, the dewy air and his fathers voice toned soothingly low was mellowing him out; the statement, and hell his very presence, didn't automatically piss him off for a change.

"Well, I was down early last night too."

"Charlie get off okay?" Obviously Sev was making an effort, inspired by Harry's soft response.

"Mmm, he left yesterday, had to get back."

They sat there then, just enjoying the morning. Harry enjoying the remnants of his mellow feeling, already beginning to fade as thoughts of reality invaded. Severus enjoying being in his son's presence when he hadn't managed to piss the boy off, a rare opportunity to just sit and relish his existence.

"The House Elves are going to set up breakfast on the patio, it's a nice morning for it. Cassi is setting it up and getting Tainen ready." Severus seemed to announce seemingly out of nowhere a little while later.

"We should head up then."

Breakfast was already set up when they reached the patio and the others were already pouring coffees while waiting for them. Greetings were exchanged and everybody started serving themselves, nobody seemed inclined to break the silence, instead enjoying the unusual lack of tension in the air that morning.

"So Drake, still want to do something together today? Maybe head into London and see a movie?" Harry knew that it probably wasn't the smartest move to spend the day with Draco, although arguments could be made that spending time with him would actually help to decrease suspicion, but still, probably not the smartest move. He was gonna do it anyway though, and he would really rather not spend time considering why that was.

"Yea, sounds great!" Draco could barely contain his excitement, he was practically bouncing in his seat in a most un-Malfoy, undignified way, but he was happy to be spending the day with his extremely cool big brother. Harry was much better at hiding his emotions, thankfully, otherwise he might not have been able to contain his amusement at seeming Draco Malfoy bouncing in his seat.

"Lets go then." They said their good-byes, told the 'rents not to hold lunch for them, and then they were off.

From the park in Little Whinging they caught a taxi into London and headed toward the cinemas. Draco could barely stop starring; he had never spent any time amongst Muggles before. They seemed so normal, and yet so strange! And the ways they compensated for magic. Cars, and their clothes, and the people walking around listening to music on those little devices Alex had shown him a week or so back. And then they got to where they were going and Alex showed him a movie! He didn't understand a lot of what was happening, to much of it had required an understanding of Muggle society and technology but what he did understand and what he could figure out from following the plot, and even just seeing the projected pictures moving on the screen… it was so different then what he had expected.

Afterwards they went out for pizza at a nearby pizzeria, Draco waxing poetic about the movie the whole time. Harry couldn't keep the grin from his face, enjoying the sight of a pureblooded wizard's first introduction to the Muggle world. If he felt like being mean he might have drawn a parallel between this and the first time he and Mi had taken Ron to Muggle London to see a movie, the boys were scarily similar and he didn't think either of them would find that thought flattering.

It was toward the end of lunch when Harry noticed that Draco had gone quite. He seemed to be trying to get up the courage say something, and if the lack of eye contact and the blush spreading across his pale aristocratic skin was any indication it was something exceedingly embarrassing. Harry couldn't resist raging on the boy a little.

"What?" The smirk made it perfectly clear that he was amused by Draco's behavior, and Draco's blush just spread in response. "Spit it out already Drake!"

"Mmmm mm m m m mmm"

"What was that? I couldn't hear you?" Of course he couldn't hear him, Draco had mumbled into his own chest.

"What's it like to have sex?" Draco's voice was still so low that Harry had to strain to hear him, and when he did he was shocked by what he heard. Draco Malfoy was asking him about sex? Was Draco Malfoy was a virgin?

"What do you mean, what's it like? Do you mean at all or do you mean with another guy?" Harry was trying very hard not to allow his history with Malfoy to influence this little scene they were currently having. The growing relationship between 'Alex' and 'Draco' required that he not piss himself laughing at the boy but the relationship between 'Harry' and 'Malfoy' made him want to mock him to within an inch of his sanity.

"At all…" If they were going to have this bloody uncomfortable conversation Harry really wished Draco would talk to him and not down into his own chest so as Harry could actually hear him.

"You mean you've never…" What is it about uncomfortable conversations that make people stop finishing their sentences? Draco's blush was just getting worse.

"No…" it was practically whispered.

"Well, umm… it's hard to explain. What do you want to know? I mean, lets start with, do you prefer boys or girls? Cause obviously there are some fairly important differences between them." Harry hadn't been embarrassed about sex for years, and although this conversation had made him uncomfortable to start with he decided the 'who' he was talking to wasn't important; he'd just be normal about it.

"Umm, I like both, but I think girls a bit more then boys. Have you ever… with girls?" Who ever would have imagined that cocky git could get this red? But Harry wasn't going to hold it against him… actually he couldn't, 'Alex' wouldn't and 'Harry' didn't know.

"Yes, I have slept with both of the sexes. But again, what do you want to know? I mean, I assume you don't just want me to say 'it was good', I mean even bad sex is still good as long as everybody consents and you all get off, so… what is it you're looking for?"

"I… have you slept with a lot?"

"Drake, you know my reputation, it is not exaggerated, in fact it's probably understated. I have slept with a lot of people, probably slightly more guys but still, a lot of girls."

"How old were you?"

"I lost my virginity when I was very young, most people would probably argue to young… I was 10."

"10! Were you… I mean, did you… you said before… about consent…?"

"Are you asking if I was raped?" Draco winced at the word but indicated that he was, "No, I have never been raped." Draco didn't need to know that you can't live the sort of life style that Harry lived without at least coming close once or twice, there were bad people out there and Harry knew far to many of them on a personal basis, but he was good at getting out of bad situations.

"I'm 16." He said it like it was some massive statement, some huge confession.

"So am I, what about it?"

"I've never… Some of my friends have, you have probably hundreds of times…"

"Are you asking if there is something wrong with you that you haven't? Draco it's not a bad thing that you have never had sex. I know that some people, especially guys, think that you should be out there fucking anything you can, like it's some kind of race to lose your virginity, but it's not. Look, there are a lot of different views on sex out there, some people think it is the physical act of love, others think it's a bit of fun and a great cardio workout. Me, I thinks it a great way to relax, it's something I really enjoy doing, and I don't think of it as in any way having anything to do with emotion. This being the case, I have sex whenever I want to, as often as I want to. But that is me. You are an entirely different person, and no matter what your view of sex is, don't be in any rush to have it. Wait until you know what you think of it, and until you are ready, and don't let anybody force you into it to soon. And a good rule of thumb, don't do anything you can't say, you can't talk about."

Draco seemed to relax a little bit after that, after he knew there was nothing 'wrong' with him, and was able to speak more freely on the topic. He had a lot of questions, and Harry supposed that Lucius never really spoke openly with Draco about sex. Eventually they slipped on to other topics, chatting about random things, Draco seemed especially intrigued by Muggles; maybe there was hope for the technically older teen after all.

--There you go people! I started it weeks ago but I never finished it. Exams are long over and marks are out… I PASSED! YAY! I will try to never take this long again to update, sorry about that… Kat

Please R&R under pain of 5 little men with annoyingly high voices singing "I'm Henry the 8th" all night in a very Ghost like scene…