Well here's the next chapter,and It's ready a hell of alot quicker then the previous. Read and enjoy, and don't forget the magic word. REVIEW.
Sirius watched in hesitant amusement as Harry made another loop around the couch Sirius was sitting on. Harry had been pacing whatever room he was in since waking up in the early morning.
He had already made his way through his bedroom, kitchen, library and now the lounge room. Sirius's neck was starting to crap from having a conversation with someone who wouldn't stop moving in circles and he thought Harry must be starting to get dizzy.
"Harry lease sit down, your giving me a headache."
Harry paused immediately and sank down on the couch next to his godfather with a heavy sigh.
"This is ridiculous. I don't know what possessed me to think I could do this." Harry muttered, panic making his voice shaky.
Sirius wrapped a arm around Harry's shoulders and pulled him close, causing Harry to lean against him.
"You were thinking that you don't want to hide from your friends any longer and that for better or worse, Ron and Hermione deserve to know the truth." Sirius pointed out, doing his best to repeat what Harry had told him the day before.
"Why is it you only listen when you want use it against me later? And better or worse my ass. I'll be lucky if Ron doesn't knock me on my ass. And I can't blame him can I? Hundreds of boys in Hogwarts and I fall in love with Draco fucking Malfoy." Harry pouted, reminding Sirius of a toddler.
"Harry listen to me. Ron and Hermione love you. Trust me, after all the shit you three have gone through together they aren't going to leave you over this." Sirius assured his nerve wracked godson.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Harry nodded and pulled himself out of Sirius's hold, sitting up straight and running fingers through his messy hair.
'Well, I should probably get going, don't want to be late." he muttered and smoothed out invisible wrinkles in his shirt.
"Where are you meeting them?"
"Some café close to where Hermione lives. Ron is spending the last week of holiday at Hermione's so it's just easier." Harry shrugged.
"Meeting the parents, Ron's a brave man."
"Works for me. The café should be crowded and the more people, less chance of Ron or Hermione making a scene. Plus since it's a muggle café, I won't get hexed."
Sirius snorted and privately thought if Ron was pissed enough to want to hex Harry, a few muggles wouldn't stop him.
"Well go on then. Get there early and plan your escape route."
"Thanks Sirius, you really know how to make me feel better." Harry said sarcastically, picking his coat up from the arm of the couch.
"Hey! I give great advice!" Sirius protested.
*TIME BREAK* TIME BREAK* TIME BREAK * TIME BREAK * TIME BREAK * TIME BREAK *
Despite his sarcasm towards Sirius Harry was ashamed too admit the first thing he did when he entered the little café was a quick scan for the easiest way to the exit. Unfortunately his original plan to get there early hadn't actually worked as it had taken longer then he thought it would to find the tucked away café.
This meant by the time he arrived, Ron and Hermione were already sitting in a booth far in the back looking ridiculously in love. He swallowed his panic and made his way over, dodging people with hot coffee and more then once narrowly avoiding receiving third degree burns.
"Harry! You made it!" Hermione exclaimed happily, pulling her attention away from Ron.
"Yeah Harry we were worried you weren't going to show up." Ron agreed, not letting go of Hermione's hand.
Harry smiled and slipped into the booth sitting in the empty seat across from his two friends.
"Before we get comfortable, Ron can you get as all a coffee while the counter is empty?" Hermione asked nicely.
Ron looked like he was about to object but thought better of it when Hermione narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Sure honey. What would you like to drink?"
"I'll have a Latte Macchiato." Hermione smiled up at him.
"Sure you can have that, or you could under something I can actually pronounce?" Ron suggested hopefully.
Hermione let out a long suffering sigh but a small grin took the bite out of it.
"A Chai Latte then."
"Now that I can get you."
"And I'll have a black coffee."
"Ewwww Harry that crap is like tar." Hermione scrunched her nose delicately.
I've been awake since dawn. I need the caffeine hit."
Ron left and headed over to the counter, Harry notice in amusement that it was Ron's turn to weave and dodge past people.
"So. What's the deal?"
Harry turned back to Hermione with a frown. "What?"
Hermione leaned across the table to give them more privacy.
"Don't act stupid Harry, it doesn't suit you. You were quite insistent we meet up before school starts again." Hermione whispered with a knowing look.
Harry just sat there and blinked stupidly at her , wondering when Ron was going to get back. A part of his wanted to deny it but that would just be counter productive to his end goal. On the other hand he didn't want to tell Hermione without Ron there, he only wanted to go through that once so he had to stall her.
"You're right, there is something I need to tell you but I want to tell you both together." Harry admitted, successfully stalling the conversation.
Hermione nodded in understanding but couldn't completely cover her curiosity. Ron came back, perilously balancing three cups of coffee and a muffin.
He placed the black coffee in front of Harry and Hermione had to snatch her before it toppled to the ground. Ron thanked her and slid back into his seat, putting the coffee to one side and focusing intently on his blueberry muffin.
"Ron we just had lunch!" Hermione chastised, frowning pointedly at the muffin.
"We ate three hours ago Hermione! I'm hungry." Ron protested, moving the muffin away from her as if afraid she would take it from him.
Harry tried his best to contain a smile at Ron's fierce protection of his food. With a quick glance at Hermione he saw she was backing down. There were many things Ron was willing to do for Hermione, things he was willing the change about himself. His eating habits were not one of them and Hermione knew how to pick her battles.
"So Harry, what's the point of this little get together?" Ron asked while spraying the table in pieces of half chewed muffin.
Harry's stomach did a strange little flip flop and took a sip of coffee, burning his tongue slightly in the process.
"Can't I just spend time with my friends? Do I need a hidden motive?" Harry teased, giving Ron a tight smile.
"Come on Harry. We go back to school in a week, I'm sure you could wait that long to see us."
Harry smiled but there was no humour in it. He looked down at his coffee, avoiding eye contact. This was harder than telling Sirius, something he never thought would be possible.
"You're right, there is something."
"Is it about where you go at night when you think we're asleep?" Ron blurted out without thinking and was rewarded by a blow to the ribs by Hermione.
Harry's eyes grew to twice their size. He tried to speak but nothing came out. Hermione saw him struggling and giggled.
"What? You think we wouldn't notice?"
"I've been sneaking out to see someone. Someone I care for very much."
Hermione practically squealed in excitement. "I knew! What's her name? Is she pretty?"
"Or his name?" Ron added quietly.
Harry and Hermione froze, though both for very different reasons. One fear, one shock.
"His name? What makes you think I'm dating a boy?" he stammered, reaching up the flatten his hair and nearly smacked his coffee cup off the table.
Ron looked alarmed at Harry's almost violent reaction.
"Calm down mate. We've been best mates since we were twelve, did you really think I wouldn't notice?"
"But I was so careful!"
"You're wandering eyes in the shower after Quidditch aren't exactly covert. And you talk in your sleep." Ron shrugged.
Harry felt his face heat in a blush and wanted nothing more then to sink in on himself.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione asked harshly.
"Ron I swear, I never looked at you in the showers." Harry assured him.
"I know." Ron laughed, trying to make Harry see he wasn't upset.
"Isn't anyone listening to me? Why didn't you tell me Ron?"
"It wasn't my secret to tell!"
Harry could see she was about to respond and by the way she was looking at Ron it would be a pleasant response so he cut her off. He had bigger things to tell them and letting Ron and Hermione start a screaming match wasn't part of the plan.
"He's right Hermione. It was my place to tell you, not Ron's."
Hermione huffed unhappily and reminded Harry of a angry bird ruffling her feathers.
"Anyway, what's his name?" Ron prodded when an uncomfortable silence covered the table.
"Ummm…that's where is gets tricky." Harry mumbled, sipping coffee that was getting cold and left a bad taste in his mouth.
"Tricky? How could it be tricky? We're ok with the gay thing." Hermione reminded him.
"The tricky part relates more to the specific person I'm dating more then the gender."
Ron cocked his head in confusion at the same time Hermione widened her eyes in realisation. She reached across the table and gently took Harry's hand.
"Harry…Are you dating Professor Snape?" she asked him gently, the same way one would talk to a skittish child.
"What? No! Ewwww…..No, just No!" Harry shrieked, images of him and Snape together flashed unwanted through his mind.
"Alright Harry, calm down. I'm sorry but that did seem like the direction you were going in." Hermione apologised.
"Harry's got a point Mione, that's kinda gross." Ron added, giving Hermione a odd look.
"I said I was sorry!" she huffed.
"So who is it really, it can't be worse than Snape." Ron chuckled after a moment.
"Malfoy." Harry whispered finally.
Silence descended on the table as Ron and Hermione started at him. The silence was made all the more noticeable by the noise from the rest of the café. The clacking of coffee cups on saucers, forks clinking on plates. Not surprisingly it was Hermione who broke the chilly silence first.
"Lucius Malfoy?" she asked tentatively.
"What is wrong with you? Seriously, why is it your first reaction that I'm sleeping with someone old enough to be my father? That's messed up, really disturbing that that's the first place your mind goes."
Harry was too busy looking at Hermione like she had grown a second head to realise Ron wasn't taking it very well, but as he moved his attention he saw Ron was clenching his hands so hard his fists were shaking and by the tense jaw Harry would bet he was grinding his teeth. Hermione noticed it too and placed a comforting hand on Ron's shoulder but it was shrugged off.
"Ron? Are you ok?" Harry asked timidly, afraid of the answer.
Ron said nothing. He stood up abruptly, making the table wobble and stormed out the front door. Each step was ridged in repressed anger. Harry jumped at the sudden movement and wanted nothing more then to call out to Ron, to stop Ron from leaving but nothing came out.
All he could do was watch his best friend walk out the door and he couldn't make a sound to stop it. Hermione watched sadly and turned back to Harry with sympathy in her eyes.
"Why did you keep this from us Harry?"
"Are joking? Look how Ron took it. I couldn't risk losing you both until I was sure."
"Knew what for sure?"
"That what Draco and I have is real and worth losing everything for."
Hermione nodded and sighed heavily. She ran her fingers through her, causing Harry to smile at the familiar gesture.
"You're picking up my habits." he pointed out.
Hermione froze as if just realising what she was doing and gave him a rueful smile.
"You're not the only one with unruly hair. Do you want be to talk to him?" she asked, nodding towards the door.
He thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"No, this is my problem and I'll fix it. Or at least I'll try to."
"There's a park down the road, he'll go there. Send him back when you're done, I'll wait here."
*SCENE BREAK * SCENE BREAK * SCENE BREAK * SCENE BREAK * SCENE BREAK *
Harry was glad it was the middle of the day because that meant the park was empty apart from a lone jogger and a elderly couple feeding the ducks. Just as Hermione predicted, Ron was sitting on a bench far away from the road.
Harry sighed and made his way over to the silent figure staring out into the lake. Without a word he sat down next to Ron and counted it as a win when Ron didn't get up and leave. Harry knew Ron wouldn't be the first one to talk and that it was down to him but he had no idea how to start to the conversation.
"I brought you a muffin." he murmured, holding out the chocolate chip muffin which Ron ignored. So he tried again. "I got it warmed up so all the chocolate chips are melted."
Ron hesitated before taking the muffin. Harry smiled at the small triumph.
"I love him Ron." he whispered softly.
"I know." he answered simply. "You wouldn't have told us if you didn't."
"Then why?" Harry pleaded.
"Because you didn't tell me. I could understand you not tell me you were gay, I get it, there was no need to. I could even understand why you didn't tell me you were sneaking out at night or where you were going because I figured you were just having fun. But this Harry, the fact that you kept this from me for so fucking long. And it fucking hurts!" Ron didn't seem angry anymore, just defeated.
"I was scared! I had to come to term with the fact that not only was I gay, I was falling in love with Draco fucking Malfoy! You and Hermione were the solidarity in my life I had left. I couldn't risk losing that!"
"And I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you but in the end it comes down to the fact that you didn't trust me. You didn't trust me to put six years of friendship above a childhood rivalry."
"I fucked up! I know that! But I did the only thing I thought I could and I'm sorry." Harry said softly, sliding closer to Ron on the bench. "How long do you think you'll be mad at me?"
"I stopped being mad as soon as I walked out the coffee shop. But I need time for all this to sink in, we'll be good as new by the time school starts." Ron promised.
"Would it help if I apologised again?"
"I think it would be best if you just stopped talking."
Harry nodded in agreement and clapped Ron on the back.
"You should head back to the café. Hermione is waiting for you, she's worried." Harry suggested.
"God I'm gonna get a bollocking. Are you coming back."
"Nah, I'm just gonna go home and write to Draco. He was worried that you'd end up hexing me." Harry admitted.
"I never thought I'd say this, but Draco was right, it did cross my mind. Tell Sirius I said hi."
"Will do. Tell Hermione I'll see her back at school and not to be too hard on you."
"Don't worry, I like it when she's hard on me." Ron winked.
"Ewwww. Dude, just ewwww."
*TIME BREAK * TIME BREAK * TIME BREAK * TIME BREAK * TIME BREAK * TIME BREAK *
Harry opened the front door and stood in the dark hallway, waiting for his eyes to adjust.
"Honey, I'm home!" he called out to Sirius, making his way down the hallway.
"In the kitchen." Sirius yelled in return.
Harry entered the kitchen and saw Sirius bent down to the cupboard, Harry jumped up onto the counter and swung his legs happily. The kitchen table was covered in shopping bags.
"You went shopping?" Harry asked shocked, "You hate shopping."
"I don't hate shopping, I just prefer when you do it. Besides I didn't have much of a choice, the fridge and cupboard were almost empty and I didn't know when you'd get back." Sirius protested, returning to his stacking. "And the chipper mood you are in, I'm guessing it went well?"
"Very well actually. Ron had bit of a hissy fit, a completely understandable hissy fit but a hissy fit non the less." Harry said, picking up a box of crème biscuits Sirius hadn't put away yet.
"How did you calm him down?"
"Bribed him with a muffin."
Sirius choked on his own breath at his splutter of laughter and nearly dropped a carton of milk. Regaining control he looked up and saw Harry smiling but there wasn't much happiness in it, in fact Harry looked a little sad.
"You alright Harry?"
"Yeah, I mean today went better then I could have ever thought possible."
"Then why do you look like someone stole your ice cream?"
"I'm fine. I just missed Draco." Harry admitted, jumping down off the counter and began helping Sirius with the food.
"Speaking of Draco, how's the nipple ring healing? Infection set in yet?" Sirius teased, reaching over and tweaking Harry's nipple through his shirt.
Harry hissed and pulled away.
"Still a little tender." Harry gritted out.
"I don't understand why you don't just use a healing charm."
"All part of the piercing experience."
"Yeah all part of the experience when your nipple drops off."
"Stop saying that! My nipple is not going to fall off!" Harry insisted, giving Sirius a playful shove.
Sirius spun around quicker than Harry thought possible and wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, lifted him off the ground and started spinning him around. Harry screamed but didn't struggle, afraid that if he did Sirius would drop him.
"Stop! Stop!" Harry screeched, breathless with laughter.
Sirius put him down but didn't let go and jerked him roughly from side to side.
"Let me go Siri!"
"Say I'm the greatest godfather ever!"
"Never!"
Sirius frowned at the disobedience and picked him up again but this time threw him over his shoulder twirled around in a circle.
"Say it!"
"You'll never break me!" Harry vowed loudly.
Sirius smirked and used his free had to tickle Harry sides, causing him to wiggle and screech.
"Alright, Alright! You're the greatest Godfather ever!" Harry gave in after only a few seconds of torture.
"And?" Sirius teased.
"And what? You're awesome, and smart and the most dastardly marauder that ever lived!"
Sirius paused and put Harry down with a laugh.
"Knew I could get you to say it." Sirius grinned, ruffling Harry's hair.
"That was mean." Harry huffed, pouting and leaning against the counter. His sides hurt from tickling and his breath was coming in pants.
"Oh stop pouting and help me put away the last of the food, then you can start dinner."
"Oh can I now? That's very kind of you."
"Well after the 'incident' I thought we agreed it was in everyone's best interest if I didn't cook again." Sirius reminded him.
"Oh yes. The 'incident' I'd forgotten about that."
"Good, so we're in agreement. I would like chicken for dinner tonight I think."
Harry shook his head softly and took the uncooked out of the fridge.
"Oh and some of those fat little homemade chips you make." Sirius asked excitedly.
"Sure."
"Oh, and Harry?"
"Yeah."
"You'll see Draco again soon." Sirius promised.
"I know." Harry returned the smile.
I promise the next chapter will have some nice Draco/Harry smut. I know its been a while. xoxox