"Colin, stop fidgeting. You look a nervous wreck!" George finally exclaimed.
"I am a nervous wreck, George." They were almost to the Room of Requirement for the Defense Meeting, and Colin had been fidgeting the whole way. He couldn't seem to get a handle on his nerves. It wasn't just that he would be talking to the person that had found the photos of Harry and Draco, but the idea of being in the same room as Harry in just a few moments was torturing him.
"I told you, it will be fine. Don't worry, I'll be with you the entire time," George reached over and took Colin's hand, squeezing it in encouragement. A group of first years came around the corner, and George discreetly dropped his hand. The act brought new questions to Colin's already cluttered thoughts; questions he didn't have time to ask George at the present moment. They were at the stretch of wall, where a door was already in place.
Colin reached for the handle, but George held him back. "Wait, just one second."
"What is it?" Colin asked.
"I know you're going to stress out no matter what I say, but…I just hope you know that I really mean it when I say I'm here for you—with everything that's going on…" George smiled his lopsided grin down at Colin, "and you look really great in blue," he added with an uncharacteristic blush.
Colin looked down at his faded jeans and blue t-shirt. The compliment and sentiment sent warmth through more than his cheeks. He felt the burn of it across his chest, as well. Looking back up at George, "Thank you," he whispered shyly. He took a step closer, reaching for a kiss before they had to go inside. George put his hand on his cheek, pulling him in closer. They're lips met for half a second before the sound of a door opening interrupted. Colin didn't move, but George shot back like he had been burned. They both turned to peer at none other than Harry Potter.
"Hey guys, you comin in?" He smiled at the stunned pair, holding the door open. "We're about to start."
Colin wouldn't have been able to move into the room if George hadn't given him a gentle push in the back. He stumbled through the door, head down, trying to control his blush. He quickly walked to the back of the group awaiting the start of the meeting, George right behind him.
Harry began speaking, and Colin divested him with his eyes. Harry looked nothing short of stunning. His green eyes were given new light paired with the Slytherin green t-shirt over dark jeans.
"You both choose your colors well," George whispered, startling him slightly.
"What?" he mouthed back.
"The blue brings out your eyes; the green brings out his," George spelled out, smirking.
"Yeah, oh yeah, yeah." Colin muttered, his eyes returning to the sight of Harry giving out instructions.
Harry split them up into pairs to practice disarming spells. Colin paired with a girl from Hufflepuff; George with Lee Jordan. Colin forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand. He had almost forgotten that Harry was making his way through paired room, until Harry made his way to where he and his partner stood. Harry looked at him, green eyes penetrating. Colin was transfixed by the smoldering look Harry gave him.
"Expelliarmus!" The girl yelled. Colin flinched in her direction, but his wand was already soaring through the air and into her hand.
"Very nice," Harry praised the girl, walking to retrieve Colin's wand from her. "Now, Colin" Harry turned to face him, penetrating him with that stare again. "You weren't concentrating." Harry walked right up to him—closer than necessary, Colin thought.
"I…" Colin tried to communicate.
"Let me show you," Harry offered quiet and firm. He walked behind Colin.
Colin's breathing immediately sped up as Harry positioned his body against Colin's back. He knew that Harry didn't need to be this close, yet he couldn't believe that Harry would intentionally be making a very blatant move on him. He urgently searched the room for George.
George! His thoughts yelled as he spotted him.
"Hold your arm up higher, like this," Harry whispered against the side of his face, lifting Colin's arm higher, holding him gently by the wrist. "And turn your hips back some, to better stabilize yourself."
Colin felt Harry grip his waist, pulling the hip back more so that his bottom was pressed against Harry.
"That's perfect," Harry whispered.
"Mmm," Colin moaned very quietly, followed by a gasp as he realized the sound he had made. He looked again to George, who had left Fred and Lee to practice without him. He was across the room, watching the exchange between Harry and Colin. Please, George, I'm not doing this! Colin tried to make the thought clear to George with his facial expression.
"George getting upset?" Harry whispered, startling Colin.
"I hope not—I, I mean…I—" Colin didn't get the chance to retract his answer. Harry abruptly moved away.
"Alright, try again you two." He said, and walked over to where George was standing.
For the rest of the meeting, Colin was a hopeless wreck. He tried to focus on disarming, but he was completely unable to concentrate. He tried to avoid Harry's gaze to simplify his thoughts, but he found the task impossible. Harry was always popping up in his line of vision, those beautiful emerald eyes resting seductively on him. Every time this would happen, Colin would seek out George. Sometimes George was looking towards him, sometimes not. During the moments that George and Harry were talking to each other, Colin's insides would churn.
Finally—oh thank fucking Merlin, finally!—Harry called the meeting to an end. Colin was the first out the door. He raced down the hall to the nearest bathroom, throwing himself into the last stall and slumping to the floor. Burying his face in his hands, he tried to make his thoughts slow down and get in order.
What the hell, what the hell! This is too much, too fucking much. Harry just came on to me—no way, Harry would never come on to me. He doesn't even like me, I annoy him, and he doesn't know I'm gay anyway! Oh fuck, but he knows something about George, he must, why else would he think George was upset that he was standing so close. George, fuck! George is mad, he's gotta be so mad at me right now. He thinks I was flirting with Harry—fuck I wasn't though!
But you liked it, a small voice of reason muttered in the back of his mind.
Yes, I liked it. But I've always liked Harry. But I like George. I like George a lot. He probably hates me now. Shit, what do I do? What do I do?
You still have to talk to the picture thief, that annoying voice intervened again.
"Fuck," Colin whimpered, tears sliding easily down his face. He pulled his knees up and buried his face in them. "What am I going to do?" he asked the empty room. He let his brain freeze, not one thought passing through as he sat there and cried. Moments later, the sound of the bathroom door opening silenced him.
"Colin?"
"George?" Colin looked at the stall door hopefully, not able to hide the quiver in his voice. He saw George's feet below the stall door.
"Colin, open the door." It was a demand, though delivered gently.
Colin stood up from the floor, trying to wipe the evidence from his face on the sleeve of his robes. He walked to the door and opened it.
"Hey, beautiful," George smiled sweetly at him, worry clearly evident on his face.
"Are you mad at me?" Colin asked, unable to control the fresh tears that filled his eyes.
"No," George answered, coming into the stall and shutting the door behind him. "Come here." He sat on the floor and spread his legs. "Sit."
Colin sat between his legs, his back resting on George's toned chest.
"Talk to me, tell me everything."
"Everything?" Colin whimpered.
"Yes, everything. Start with what just happened between you and Harry."
"I don't know!" Colin cried. "It was like he was hitting on me."
George surprised Colin with a genuine laugh, "Yeah, that much was obvious." He paused. "Did he say something to upset you this much, though? That doesn't seem like the Harry I know." He continued seriously.
"No, but he asked me if you were getting upset…and I said I hope not…did you get upset?" He whispered the last part.
George was quiet for a few seconds before answering. "No, I wasn't upset. I was jealous…and turned on, seeing the two of you so close together."
"You…you were jealous?" Colin asked hopefully.
"Well yeah, of course. I like you a lot, Colin."
Colin spun around to face George, balancing himself with a hand firmly on George's chest. "You do? You like me?"
George leaned in and kissed him, "Yes…and I think you like me, too." George leaned in, kissing Colin again and nibbling on his lips.
Colin responded to George's words and actions immediately. He tried to get completely turned around, but George halted the progress that would most likely lead to sexual behavior.
"Wait," he smiled at Colin's defiant glare, "You have to talk to me first. And don't leave out a single thing."
Reluctantly, Colin turned around, resting once again on George's chest.
"Okay, well you already know I'm stressed about telling Harry what I did and about talking to whoever has those pictures—shit! We have to meet him!" Colin suddenly remembered. He made a move to get up, but George stopped him.
"He can wait. You talk." He ordered firmly. "And, yes, I know you've been stressed out, and I also know you were checking out Harry at the meeting—don't worry, I'm okay with it; I have to admit I was looking too." He pressed a kiss to Colin's head.
"Okay, so I was checking him out. But then he was flirting with me. At least I think he was. He was pressed up against me and whispering to me. He didn't say anything bad or outright flirtatious, but he was…just…fuck I don't know, I just really felt uncomfortable."
"Why did you feel uncomfortable? I thought you had a thing for Harry?" George asked him, not accusingly, just curious.
"I did. I do. I mean I did. I…" He sighed, unsure what else to say.
"Just tell me," George gave Colin a reassuring squeeze. "You can always tell me everything you feel."
Colin shut his eyes and relaxed in George's arms. Here goes… he thought as he prepared himself for George's reaction to his total honesty. "I do have a thing for Harry—a purely sexual thing. But I wasn't thinking that way when he was against me—I mean I liked it…but I was thinking about you," he paused, but George didn't move, so he plowed on. "I was so scared you would be mad, because I really really like you a lot, and I wouldn't want to mess up anything between us. Even though I am really attracted to Harry, I'm way more attracted to you, and I…well, I really like you," he finished, somewhat lamely, he told himself. "Oh yeah, and from my reaction to him asking if you were upset, I'm pretty sure Harry assumes we're together…well, I think he had already guessed."
"Does that bother you?" George wondered aloud, "that Harry might know…about us?"
"Well, honestly, no. But…I thought you would be mad about that, too."
George turned Colin's face just enough to give him a quick quizzical look. "Why would you think that?"
"Because," Colin turned his head back around, "you always drop my hand when we get around people. You flew off me so fast when Harry almost caught us kissing."
"No, no, no," George said disbelievingly. "Colin, I only do that because I didn't think you wanted people to know that…that you're gay, that you're with me. Do you want people to know?"
Colin thought for a moment, then answered, "I don't really care what people think about me. Although…I would like if they didn't think of me as annoying little baby Colin with his stupid camera."
George laughed and pulled Colin tight against him. "I don't think anyone at the DA meeting is thinking of you like that anymore. The muggle look is so sexy on you."
"Whatever," Colin laughed, "I'm glad you think so, though."
"Let's get back on the out subject. Are you saying you want to be out about me and you?"
"I guess that depends on what me and you means," Colin suggested.
"What do you want it to mean?" George questioned quietly.
"I don't know," Colin fidgeted. "I think I want us to be…whatever you want us to be."
George laughed, "You're being very shy about this. We both like each other and trust each other, yes? We agree on that?"
"Yes," Colin couldn't keep the shy smile off his face.
"Then…maybe you'd want us to be boyfriends?" George asked.
"Yes, I like that word for us."
"Good. So do I…so are you saying you will be my boyfriend?" George kissed the side of Colin's neck, erasing any doubts Colin had about George's feelings towards him.
"Yes," Colin giggled—did I just giggle? "I'll be your boyfriend."
"Turn around," George whispered.
Colin turned so that he was facing George, Indian style between his legs. He was surprised by the serious expression he found on George's face. "What?" he worried.
"Now that we've decided that we are a couple, I think there are some…things…we should discuss."
"Okay, like what?" Colin was getting a little worried, not knowing what George was thinking.
"I like that I got jealous watching Harry hit on you…but I also like that I was turned on," he paused, watching Colin's reaction.
"Okay…." Colin was more confused now. "What are you saying? You want to see…me and Harry together? I don't even think that's a possibility, George."
"No, not necessarily. I just don't want you to think that you can't flirt, or even have sex, with other people." George answered.
"Wait…you want to be my boyfriend…but you want me to do stuff with other guys?" Colin asked incredulously.
"No, I just want you to do what you want. If you're curious about another guy, then I want you to tell me. I'm your first, so…I don't want you to be held back from experimenting; although, I would prefer to be present, possibly involved, if you ever do."
"Oh, well…I don't really foresee that happening," he paused, thinking. "But if it does…I promise I'll tell you."
"Thank you." George captured Colin's lips in a sweet, slow kiss. "Now, come on boyfriend. We have another meeting to go to."
"Uuuggh," Colin groaned, "I had almost forgotten about that."
"It'll be over before you know it," he pulled Colin off the floor and led him by the hand to the exit. "And then we can celebrate." He grinned at Colin, walking confidently hand-in-hand into the not so deserted corridor.