A/N I decided to extend this fic after the amount of update alerts it got, but I do work much faster with reviews. Thanks to everyone who let me know about the change over errors, I was epically embarrassed. And thank you to Crapounette for being my first reviewer.

It didn't take long for the entire school to find out about the relationship. The next day Harry found himself being the subject of many conversations. On the way to transfiguration people were constantly going silent as soon as they realized he was there.

While the three other houses kept their conversations to hushed tones, the Slytherins wanted Harry to know how they felt about the relationship. "It's just sick!" Said Pansy Parkinson loudly as Harry passed her on the staircase. "I mean it's a teacher! And not just any teacher. OUR head of house! It's so wrong." She then proceeded to look at Harry with a sickeningly sweet smile.

Worse than the whispers and slurs however, was Ron. He had obviously not forgiven him for not telling him what was going on and was refusing to talk to him as a result. Harry sighed and sat next to Seamus Finnigan rather than in his usual seat next to Ron.

"Er- Hi Harry," Said Seamus nervously. "I know you're probably sick of people asking you, but I just want to know… Is it true?"

Harry felt sick. "So what if it is? Are you going to stop talking to me too?" He hissed angrily.

"No!" Said Seamus looking hurt. "I know Ron's taking it badly but he'll come round. Trust me. He was moping all night 'cause you weren't there." Harry suddenly felt a lot better. "The only reason I'm asking is that… I am too, and I just thought… It would be nice to have someone to talk to that actually understood."

"Oh," Harry said, his mood becoming increasingly better. "Well of course you can talk to me about it. Have you told anyone else?"

Seamus shook his head. "Me mum's a strict Catholic. She'd be fuming if she found out!"

Harry felt bad for Seamus. Though he hadn't told Ron or Hermione that he was gay, it wasn't because he was ashamed but because he wasn't completely sure. It wasn't until his feelings for Severus that he knew for sure. "What about Dean?" I'm sure he'd understand.

Dean Thomas was rarely seen without Seamus. It was only during lessons that they were apart. "I can't." Said Seamus. "If I told him then things might get a bit awkward."

"Why would it be awkward?" Asked Harry. "I'm sure he'd support you through anything." Then Harry realised what Seamus meant. "You don't mean that you like- You like Dean in that way?" Seamus nodded. "How do you know he doesn't like you back?"

"He always talks about all the girls he fancies. Plus he's seeing Ginny. He's straight."

Harry turned around and saw Professor Flitwick had arrived. "We best stop talking about this," he said. "But I'm always here for you, yeah?"

"Thanks Harry," he smiled.

Severus was seething. If one more person made a comment about his relationship with Harry then they would be spending the next month cleaning the bedpans in the hospital wing. He had already taken fifteen points away from Slytherin today, something he had never done in his entire career at Hogwarts.

"Sir?" Called Draco Malfoy, a wicked smile on his face.

"Is it about the lesson?" Malfoy shook his head. "Well then I suggest you keep your questions to yourself. Now get back on with your patronus."

By the end of the day he was beyond seething. When Harry came into his rooms all of the happiness from the day before was gone, and all he felt was disgust.

"Hey Sev." Harry grinned slipping his arms around his lover's neck. His grin changed to a grimace when he didn't get a response back. "What's wrong?"

After a minute Severus finally replied with a quick "you are." Before storming out of his own room.

Harry didn't know where to go. He'd wandered around for hours looking for his lover but he couldn't find him anywhere. He could go up to the common room but what if Ron still wasn't talking to him. Or he could go back to Sev's quarters and wait for him to return but what if when he got back and saw Harry he would still be angry and break up with him.

In the end Harry decided to take the secret passageway under the whomping willow down to Hogsmeade and go down the Hog's Head for a drink and to drown his sorrows.. Though the barkeeper knew that Harry was underage he still served him. There had been many occasions that Harry had snook out of the castle when he was feeling low on a night and went to see Albeforth, who was the man that ran the pub.

Albeforth was the first person Harry had told when he started noticing he was attracted to boys. The old barkeeper was understanding, telling him that he had a brother that was gay, and that while the two didn't speak, he still respected his brothers feelings.

When he reached the pub, Albeforth instantly poured him a tumbler of firewhisky. "Rough night?" He asked gently.

"You don't know the half of it." Said Harry glumly.

After two hours and a large bottle of firewhisky later, Harry told Albeforth everything. How he fell in love with Sev. How his best friend had stopped talking to him when he admitted it. How now even Sev was being different. "You know… This stuff," Harry said though a fit of giggles. "I never realised how dizzy it makes you feel before."

"Are you alright Harry?" Asked the older wizard worriedly. "Have you eaten anything today?"

Harry shook his head while still laughing. His body felt so weak, but he couldn't stop giggling at the feeling.

"You sit tight." He said in a gentle but firm voice. "I'm just going to get someone to come take you back."

"You can't do that!" Harry said, falling off the barstool. "Not suppos- Not suppo-… I'm not meant to be here!"

"Well you can't go on your own." A silver goat jetted from his wand and out of the bar. "Here, drink this," he said passing him a cup of water. "Might help sober you up a bit."

Severus rushed into the bar, took one look at Harry and ran to his side. "How much has he had?" He asked looking up at Albeforth.

The barkeeper waved an empty bottle and Severus groaned. "The idiot! Why didn't you ask him for ID?"

"I know how old he is. Everyone needs a break sometimes. I didn't know he hadn't been eating, otherwise I wouldn't have let him have so much! Anyway, if you hadn't been awful with him today he wouldn't have been down here."

Severus's eyes flashed angrily. "I've had a rough day. Surely he would have understood that!"

The barman was quick to defend Harry. "You're not the only one. Poor boy's been here crying 'cause his friend won't talk to him, everyone's giving him abuse and you just walk out on him when he needs you most."

Severus had never thought how Harry must be feeling. With even the teachers treating him as if he was a paedophile he'd been so caught up in his own problems he'd had little time to think about anything else.

"I'm sorry Harry," Said Severus, holding him tightly.

"So you should be," said a very groggy Harry, who until not so long ago had been passed out of the pub floor.

Severus lifted him up gently and they started the long walk back up to Hogwarts. "I think you owe me make-up sex," giggled Harry, who had become much more conscious after getting out into the fresh air.

"But you're drunk!" Said Severus, clearly not happy with the idea of taking advantage of his boyfriend.

"You're just going to have to be extra rough so I can feel it," he laughed.

This is going to be a long night. Thought Severus.