Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. Quite possible not even the plot, though I promise I made it up by myself. But that's not to say others haven't either. Or me in an alternate universe hasn't made up this plot either.

A/N: This will have slash, Severitus, and allude to child abuse, so if you don't like it (not the child abuse part, nobody likes that, I assure you, unless they are quite sick) don't read it.

Chapter 5

"So how bad it is?" Ron asked around a mouthful of eggs. Harry took a bite of his own toast and swallowed before answering. He probably should tell them of his strange encounter with Snape last night, when the man almost resembled nice, but he didn't understand it himself, so he would keep that for later.

"It was alright," He shrugged. It had been lonely, sure, not being able to sit in front of the fire next to Ron and Hermione before bed and talk, but no one had pounced on him and tried to kill him yet, so that was always a plus.

"Was Malfoy a right git?" Ron asked. Hermione elbowed him so hard he almost choked and he turned an incredulous look at her. Hermione sent a just as indecipherable look back at him, shooting glances at Harry every few seconds, and Ron flushed.

"What?" Harry asked, looking down at himself. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing," Hermione said, hurriedly putting a piece of sausage in her mouth.

"Really, what is it?" Harry asked, taking a second to count his blessings that he was not so angry as he was last year, or else he would have exploded by now.

"It's just, you know, I said something about Malfoy," Ron said. Harry raised an eyebrow. "And you've got your whole thing with Malfoy."

"What thing with Malfoy?" Harry demanded.

"You know, you're, well, you're crush," Hermione said, her voice dropping to a whisper. Harry groaned and dropped his forehead down on the table, luckily moving the plate out of the way just in time. Both of his best friends were silent and he looked up.

"How long have you guys known about it?" He asked.

"I've known since third year when you glanced back at him after I punched him in the nose," Hermione confessed. "Sorry."

"If it's an consolation, I only knew after last year, when you spent the whole time in Umbridge's office shooting looks at him even though he was holding us hostage." Ron consoled.

"Why didn't you guys say something?" Harry asked, thinking back on all the times he had covered this part of himself.

"Well, we thought you'd tell us when you were ready," Hermione said. Harry pushed his eggs around with his fork and then looked up, his face ablaze.

"And you guys are alright with, you know?" He asked.

"You liking blokes, or you liking Malfoy?" Ron asked. "Because I'm alright with you liking blokes, we have a running bet in my house if whether or not Charlie does, but liking Malfoy? You're bloody bonkers, mate."

"I know," Harry groaned, looking back at where Malfoy was sitting.

"He's such a git," Ron added, shoveling food into his mouth at rapid speed as people started to file out of the great hall.

"It's part of his charm," Harry admitted, getting to his feet.

Ron choked.